For more than ten years, NDI has worked in Turkey to promote openness and accountability in the political process along with development of a strong, dynamic civil society. Through an office in Ankara, NDI has worked with the Parliament of Turkey on various aspects of reform toward its development as a more effective, representative and professional institution. To promote citizen engagement in the political process, the Institute has advised civil society organizations working to strengthen their organizational structures and capacity for influencing public policy.
Parliamentary Development
In the Parliament of Turkey, NDI has worked with the major political parties and the multipartisan Democracy Committee to examine comparative models and systems of parliamentary processes toward improving the effectiveness of the Turkish legislature. As a result of its work with NDI, the Democracy Committee has made formal recommendations for parliamentary reforms in such areas as improving parliamentary committee functions, increasing and improving constituent outreach, increasing civil society involvement in the legislative process, and improving the parliament’s legislative research capacity. NDI is working with the parliament and civil society groups to implement these recommendations.
Civil Society Development
In order to promote more effective civic input into the legislative process, NDI provides organizations with training in building grassroots support, developing their organizational capacities, strategic planning, communications and advocacy. NDI has prioritized assistance to civil society organizations that seek to play an active role in reaching out to the parliament as well as groups that target constituencies underrepresented in Turkish politics, such as women, youth, and rural populations.
NDI also has cooperated with Turkish civil society organizations to organize policy discussions and conduct programs aimed at addressing specific challenges to democratization in Turkey, such as constitutional reform and women’s political participation.
Funding
NDI programs in Turkey have been funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and the U.S. Department of State Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
Contact Information
For more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:
Washington, D.C.
Laura Jewett, Regional Director
Subscribe to updates about Turkey
