Knowledge & Analysis

2025 Assessment – Report for Türkiye

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The 2025 assessment finds that the environment for civil society in Türkiye continued to fall short of international human rights standards across most indicators, with isolated judicial safeguards and comparatively resilient organisations within the sector. No substantial reform improved the framework for the fundamental freedoms, and restrictive administrative practices persisted.

Key findings

The core freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression remained at “does not meet standards”. The Human Rights Association documented 19 province-wide bans on assemblies across 13 provinces in 2025.

35% of CSOs reported that their organisation or members had faced threats, attacks, unlawful searches, property damage or interference with communications, up from 16% in 2024, with rights-based, gender equality and LGBTIQ+ organisations disproportionately affected.

On 28 May 2025, the Council of State annulled the risk-based classification system for inspecting CSOs, but intrusive inspections reportedly continued. Restrictions linked to anti-money laundering rules were reported by 18% of CSOs.

No central body plans or discloses total public funding for CSOs, and only 8% of CSOs rated public funding as transparent and fair.

Only 2% of CSOs experienced a consultation that gave access to the draft from the start and at least 15 days to comment. No cooperation strategy was in force, and the Civil Society Consultation Council remained inactive.

The share of CSOs employing paid staff stood at 48%, far below the 65–67% of earlier years, while 89% of CSOs raised some income from sources other than donors.