According to the report, although the recognition of civil society in the public is low, the work of civil society organisations in the field after the 6 February Earthquakes had a positive impact on the perception of the organisations. When the participants were asked about the concepts associated with civil society organisations, earthquake/disaster ranked first.
Civil Society Perception in Turkey is based on the findings of face-to-face interviews with 3040 people in 42 provinces between 8 December 2023 and 15 January 2024.
‘The earthquake made me realise how important civil society organisations are’
Approximately 50% of the participants stated that they started to have a more positive view of civil society organisations after seeing their work after the earthquake and that civil society organisations worked more effectively than state institutions during the earthquake. According to the participants, if the state had not intervened in civil society organisations, they would have been more active during the earthquake.
The participants also stated that the earthquake had a positive effect on their thoughts about becoming a member of civil society organisations, volunteering or making donations. Another noteworthy finding of the research is that those whose perception changed positively after the earthquake found CSOs more effective than the other group both in solving the problems in their environment/neighbourhood and in determining government policies.
Civil society is associated with solidarity
Volunteering, solidarity, donation and aid were the first concepts that came to mind when civil society was mentioned. Advocacy, democracy and action were among the least mentioned concepts. While citizens did not use negative expressions for civil society organisations, which were targeted with various discourses, the concepts of missionary and foreign powers were at the bottom of the list with 1%.
Civil society organisations are expected to improve the areas where the state is deficient
In the survey, the participants were also asked the question ‘Which issues Turkey needs more CSOs working on?’. The respondents gave the most common answers to this question as fight against poverty, education and health services. Fundamental rights and freedoms ranked last.
80% of the respondents think that civil society organisations have no influence in determining public policies and solving problems. The report emphasised that this situation stems from the lack of involvement of civil society organisations in the processes in municipalities, ministries and parliament.
The most trusted institution is the army, the most distrusted is religious communities
According to the survey, the most trusted institution is the military, while the least trusted institution is religious communities. In terms of trust, non-governmental organisations come right after public institutions and organisations or the state.
Age stood out as a distinguishing factor in terms of trust in institutions. Respondents below 35 years of age trust clergy, ruling parties, municipalities and religious communities less than respondents above 35 years of age. However, respondents under the age of 35 rely more on social media.
Recognition of civil society is limited to a few institutions
Although the earthquake had a positive impact on the perception of civil society organisations, the research revealed that civil society organisations are not recognised by the public. According to the report, although civil society organisations come to the forefront in times of disasters, their public recognition is low.
According to the Perception of Civil Society in Turkey research, 80% of the society has no contact with civil society organisations. Problems in the area of freedom of association negatively affect both public opinion and the recognition of civil society organisations.
When asked what comes to mind when you think of civil society organisations, the most common answers were the Red Crescent and AHBAP. The survey also showed that organisations such as LÖSEV, TEMA and Darüşşafaka, which can find a place in the mainstream media, are among the most well-known organisations by the public.
The survey showed that organisations that are on the agenda due to their political relations have very little recognition among citizens. The public recognition of organisations such as TÜRGEV, Deniz Feneri and IHH remained low.
Citizens' engagement with civil society was limited to receiving aid, scholarships and benefiting from dormitory facilities. According to the research, groups with low levels of education and the poor establish a more pragmatic relationship with civil society organisations and issues such as poverty, health and education come to the fore. As the level of income and education increases, the relationship develops in different ways such as making donations and becoming a member/volunteer.
Targeting of civil society affects public opinion
When the participants were asked why they do not become members of civil society organisations, it was noteworthy that they answered ‘I am afraid of participating in such activities’.
In the research, it was stated that the difficulty of civil society organisations in finding members or volunteers stems from the problems experienced in the field of freedom of association, and that this situation may change when favourable conditions are created for the expansion of civil society.
Young people recognise civil society but hesitate to become members or volunteers
60% of the respondents defined their knowledge about civil society organisations as ‘I have no knowledge’ or ‘I have little knowledge’. While 57.2% of the respondents below 35 years of age stated that they had ‘no knowledge’ or ‘little knowledge’, this rate increased to 63.4% among the respondents above 35 years of age.
The research also revealed that young people hesitate to engage with civil society organisations even if they know them. It was stated that this was due to the obligation of member notification for associations.
Trust increases as they get to know the CSO
In the report, it is stated that although only 4% of the participants are members of civil society organisations and have little knowledge about civil society organisations, the participants have not made a final decision about civil society organisations, and despite the debates, the public's trust in civil society organisations is still high.
According to the findings of the report, the situation is not pessimistic for participants who have established relations with civil society, whose perception of civil society organisations is more positive and whose level of trust is higher. As the participants get to know civil society organisations, trust increases. As the level of education and income increases, the relationship with civil society increases. According to the current situation, 36% of the participants trust civil society organisations.
In the report, it is also stated that this picture can change when favourable opportunities are created and civil society organisations continue their struggle, despite the negative conditions in which civil society organisations find themselves.
