TRANSFORMATION AND CONTEMPORARY TRENDS OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN TURKEY

Abstract

This article analyzes the historical formation and contemporary development trends of civil society in Turkey . The study examines the waqf and guild systems of the Ottoman period, the centralized modernization policies of the Republican era, the liberalization processes after the 1980s, and the European Union integration stage through a comprehensive institutional approach. In the 21st century, digital platforms, youth and women’s activism, and the increasing role of state regulation are explored as key factors shaping civil society. The findings indicate that civil society in Turkey has evolved into an “institutionally developed yet politically constrained model,” reflecting both progress and structural limitations.