Civil Society and Democratic Governance in Turkey: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

There is still debate regarding the definition of civil society and its development. However, today civil society is perceived as one of the main actors in public policy and decision-making processes. This chapter defines the concept of civil society and its development in western societies. Further, the chapter presents a brief background of civil society in Turkey and provides a spectrum of civil society organizations from the country. The role of training and capacity building and the educational capacity of educational institutions are also analyzed in this chapter with an emphasis on the influence of civil society on Turkish democratic governance.