ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to show and account for the depoliticization of Turkish civil society. Accordingly, this chapter traces the changes that Turkish civil society has gone through, particularly over the last three decades. For this, it first shows how Turkish civic space diversified with new groups from the 1980s until the early 2000s. Then, in considering the following decade, this chapter critically engages with the literature on Turkish civil society. Finally, this chapter examines the changes in Turkish civil society since the early 2010s and discusses its current state. It shows how traditional civic organizations increasingly shy away from overtly political activities and take on less political discourse. This chapter also introduces the new civic activists, how they confront Turkey’s current challenging environment and the place they gain in the changing outlook of Turkish civil society.
