Philea concerned about restrictions to civic space in Türkiye
Recent reports from civil society organisations, media outlets and international observers point to worrying developments around civic space in Türkiye and the Philea’s Legal Affairs Committee calls on responsible actors to restore civic space and fundamental rights. When governments begin to restrict the work of civil society organisations, it is often an early warning sign of declining democratic freedoms and weaker accountability and rule of law.
What has happened? Since 12 September 2026, Turkish authorities have carried out a series of coordinated operations under the name “Ailem Güvende” (“My Family is Safe”), targeting LGBTI+ organisations, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and other persons. The operations have involved arrests and detention, searches and seizures at association offices, businesses and private residences, criminal investigations and extensive restrictions on access to websites and social media accounts. The crackdown is seen as the first mass criminalisation of LGBTI+ people, activists and associations under the government’s broader anti-LGBTI+ agenda, with further waves of criminalisation reportedly expected.
The scale of the subsequent detentions has also been significant – as of 23 September, at least 117 people had been detained in connection with the operations, including 44 LGBTI+ human rights defenders. At least 83 people had been arrested and placed in pre-trial detention, including at least 25 LGBTI+ activists or individuals connected to LGBTI+ organisations. As of 15 October, the current number of arrested people is 77. LGBTI+ organisations raised serious concerns over the physical safety of the LGBTI+ activists while in detention. In parallel, 125 people were detained during protests against the operations in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, all of whom were subsequently released.
The restrictions have also affected access to information and independent reporting. Alongside the blocking of LGBTI+ organisations’ websites and social media accounts, journalists covering the developments have themselves faced detention. The internet access restrictions were imposed throughout the operation and covered the websites and social media accounts of numerous LGBTI+ associations, publications, student groups and individual activists. Estimates of the number of affected accounts vary by source, but international human rights monitors have reported more than 180. The measures have since extended beyond the LGBTI+ community to include national newspapers and news platforms, academic initiatives and national and international human rights organisations.
There is also explicit targeting of organisations’ foreign funding and international sources of support as part of the broader criminalisation campaign. Under Türkiye’s existing legal framework, associations may lawfully receive in-kind and cash assistance from persons, institutions and organisations abroad, subject to a prior notification requirement. Foreign funding is therefore not an unlawful activity, yet the authorities have deliberately placed organisations’ foreign funding at the centre of the public narrative surrounding the investigations, with the Minister of Justice publicly referring to funds received from foreign public institutions and organisations and suggesting that their sources and alleged links to the activities under investigation were being examined.
This official framing has been accompanied by an aggressive media campaign in which otherwise lawful international funding relationships have been presented as evidence of foreign influence or alleged criminal activity. In this context, foreign funding is being transformed from a lawful and regulated source of organisational resources into a tool for stigmatising, delegitimising and potentially criminalising LGBTI+ organisations, their donors and their international partners. The issue therefore raises serious concerns that regulatory mechanisms governing foreign funding are being instrumentalised to exert pressure on organisations because of the nature of their work and their international partnerships.
Beyond the immediate impact on affected organisations and individuals, these developments provide a stark example of how lawful international funding can be recast as a source of suspicion and used to undermine the legitimacy of civil society actors. The case therefore merits attention not only as a serious deterioration of civic space in Türkiye, but also as a warning signal for civil society, donors and policymakers elsewhere who are monitoring growing restrictions on international funding and civic freedoms. It clearly runs counter to our European Philanthropy Manifesto recommendations that call on policymakers to create an enabling environment also for cross-border philanthropic work in Europe.
For philanthropy and civil society organisations, the developments also underscore the importance of being prepared. Strengthening solidarity networks, establishing rapid response and legal defence mechanisms, supporting independent monitoring and identifying early warning signs of restrictions on civic space can help organisations respond before such measures become entrenched. The experience in Türkiye illustrates why support systems should be built before a crisis escalates, not only in response to it.
Points to consider for funders wanting to engage:
- Sustained support for organisations operating in restrictive environments becomes particularly important when access to domestic funding is limited and international funding relationships are increasingly scrutinised
- Flexible, long-term and rapid-response funding can help civil society organisations withstand legal, operational and reputational pressures
- Immediate support for affected organisations and activists in Türkiye may be particularly important as they face ongoing criminal proceedings, legal costs, detention-related challenges and restrictions on their operations
- Investment in legal assistance, digital security, protection mechanisms and movement infrastructure can strengthen the resilience of organisations facing restrictions
- Greater collaboration among funders can help identify emerging threats, coordinate responses and prevent organisations from becoming isolated during periods of escalating pressure
- The experience in Türkiye underscores the importance of spotting early warning signs and acting before restrictive measures become normalised
Contact
