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Shrinking Civil Society Space in Turkey - A Decade after the Failed Coup Attempt in Türkiye
Journalists and Writers Foundation JWFShrinking Civil Society Space in Turkey - July 2026 Since the attempted coup of July 2016, civil society in Turkey has faced unprecedented challenges. Civic space—once a vital foundation for democracy—has been shrinking at an alarming rate. Human rights organizations, journalists, academics, students, and lawyers have become targets of repression. Many face arbitrary restrictions, online defamation campaigns, confiscation of equipment, illegal detentions, and interrogations. Their voices are silenced, their work disrupted. Over 1,125 associations and 560 foundations have been forcibly shut dowRead moreShow less
Shrinking Civil Society Space in Turkey - July 2026
Since the attempted coup of July 2016, civil society in Turkey has faced unprecedented challenges. Civic space—once a vital foundation for democracy—has been shrinking at an alarming rate.
Human rights organizations, journalists, academics, students, and lawyers have become targets of repression. Many face arbitrary restrictions, online defamation campaigns, confiscation of equipment, illegal detentions, and interrogations. Their voices are silenced, their work disrupted.
Over 1,125 associations and 560 foundations have been forcibly shut down through unlawful government decrees since 2016. Several trade unions, human rights defenders—including members of Amnesty International—have been detained or imprisoned. Media outlets critical of the government have also been silenced: newspapers, radio stations, TV channels, publishing houses—all closed or seized.
Legal restrictions have tightened. In December 2020, a new law granted the Ministry of Interior sweeping powers to limit civil society activities, threatening the very foundation of civic freedom. Over 600 NGOs, including the Council of Europe, have called on Turkey to withdraw these restrictive provisions. The shrinking space for civil society undermines democracy and the fundamental rights of every citizen.
The future of Turkey’s civil society depends on safeguarding these freedoms. We must stand for a more open, inclusive, and democratic society.
Read more at https://jwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JWF-Report-A-Decade-After-the-Failed-Coup-Attempt-in-Turkiye-July-15-2016.pdf
Since the attempted coup of July 2016, civil society in Turkey has faced unprecedented challenges. Civic space—once a vital foundation for democracy—has been shrinking at an alarming rate.
Human rights organizations, journalists, academics, students, and lawyers have become targets of repression. Many face arbitrary restrictions, online defamation campaigns, confiscation of equipment, illegal detentions, and interrogations. Their voices are silenced, their work disrupted.
Over 1,125 associations and 560 foundations have been forcibly shut down through unlawful government decrees since 2016. Several trade unions, human rights defenders—including members of Amnesty International—have been detained or imprisoned. Media outlets critical of the government have also been silenced: newspapers, radio stations, TV channels, publishing houses—all closed or seized.
Legal restrictions have tightened. In December 2020, a new law granted the Ministry of Interior sweeping powers to limit civil society activities, threatening the very foundation of civic freedom. Over 600 NGOs, including the Council of Europe, have called on Turkey to withdraw these restrictive provisions. The shrinking space for civil society undermines democracy and the fundamental rights of every citizen.
The future of Turkey’s civil society depends on safeguarding these freedoms. We must stand for a more open, inclusive, and democratic society.
Read more at https://jwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JWF-Report-A-Decade-After-the-Failed-Coup-Attempt-in-Turkiye-July-15-2016.pdf
