Repression of civil society is on the rise all over the world. The charter aims to support civil society organizations as activists throughout the world, to advocate for their rights and freedom of action, and to demand government guarantees.

The independent internet freedom watchdog “Turkey Blocks”  reported last Sunday that the Turkish government has started to target the TOR-network, an internet security utensil.

It was May 2016 when former CHP MP and former judge of the European Court of Human Rights, Rıza Türmen wrote an article arguing for the need of a united front working to bring peace to the country and strengthen its democracy. 

According to the report, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has begun a scientific research project on the natural protection areas two years ago

Nuriye Gülmen, a leftist academician from the Comparative Literature Department of Eskişehir Ozmangazi University is protesting against her dismissal during the purges that followed the coup attempt in July. 

The issue of labour safety made a return to the headlines in Turkey with a mine “accident” on the night of November 17th. In an open copper mine in the war depressed south-eastern region of the country, 16 workers - truck drivers and operators of earthmovers – were buried by a landslide. 

The Interior Ministry of Turkey has taken a new step by suspending the activities of 370 NGOs for three months for their alleged connections with the Gülenists (153), PKK (190), DHKP-C (19), and ISIS (8). The decree was based on the Law of the State of Emergency and was justified by the need “to protect the general security and the public order.”

The Turkish civil society, among them the Climate Network, is monitoring Turkey during COP22 Marrakesh Climate Summit Negotiations, and keeps reminding the demands while Turkey bargains for the climate finance support

The students, the parents, the graduate associations of these long-established schools criticize this policy of project schools to the making of which they didn’t participate in any way, and fear that the government sees these schools as the new fronts in expanding its Islamist hegemony.

Civil society space is under attack worldwide. In her welcoming speech to the Global Perspectives Conference, Barbara Unmüßig urged 160 representatives of civil society organisations from around the globe to stand in solidarity with each other and to put the issue of shrinking and closing spaces back on the political agenda.