Understanding the Role of Civil Society as an Agent for Democratic Consolidation: The Turkish Case

Abstract: This study is an analysis of the contribution of civil society to democratic consolidation in Turkey. It will try to understand this problem by assessing civil society's formal structure, legal framework, and internal values, as well as its impact during the consolidation process. While doing so, this study will base itself on a combination of theories that link civil society to democratic consolidation with an empirical tool for the assessment of this linkage. It confirms that despite the difficulties, civil society in Turkey is developing itself for the establishment of a more decentralized pluralistic democracy, which will stipulate a more institutionalized democratic system.