Freedom of Association Project, 2021-2024

The Freedom of Association Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by TUSEV together with the Civil Society Development Center Association (STGM), started in October 2021. The main objectives of the project, which will run until October 2024, include raising awareness of the obstacles to the expansion of civic space in Türkiye and contributing to capacity building for rights-based advocacy.

Within this framework, the project focuses on generating more knowledge in the civil society field and developing concrete recommendations. The project aims to monitor and enhance the enabling environment for civil society, prepare informational resources on relevant legal and financial regulations, and create policy proposals. It also plans to contribute to areas that will strengthen civil society’s role in Türkiye’s democratization process, such as freedom of association, the right to participation, public-civil society collaboration, capacity building for CSOs, and closely monitoring the global civil society agenda.

The Freedom of Association Project consists of three main components:

1. Monitoring the enabling environment for civil society
2. Increasing civil society demand for accessible public administration
3. Building the capacity of CSOs for advocacy and participation

Through the Freedom of Association Project, TUSEV and STGM are working together on the following issues:

• Contributing to the development of civil society in Türkiye by producing field information,
• Preparing reports to facilitate data-driven decision making by public institutions and civil society organizations,
• Facilitating access to information for local organizations by closely following the agenda of civil society in Türkiye and around the world,
• Strengthening the culture of working with civil society by working closely with public institutions,
• Building the capacity of local CSOs,
• Developing concrete proposals to improve regulations, especially in the area of civil society, in line with international standards.