English Analysis of Civil Society Participation in Governance Regulation in Turkey

Abstract

Governance, developed as a model that enhances the participation of actors in management approaches, encompasses  the  involvement  of  stakeholders in  the development and implementation of policies through different mechanisms. A succinct statement expressing that the emergence of new theories and management approaches, influenced by social and economic reasons, has replaced the traditional understanding of public administration, spans an extensive period. Indeed, changes in management during political processes and the simultaneous development of democratic approaches have influenced the methodology of public management. The necessity to redefine and redevelop theories has arisen due to the encounter of environmentally developed theories with local dynamics in the implementation phases. This transformation has triggered the development of theories in the application variances, involving both external factors and internal factors such as local and cultural reflexes. In this cycle, governance has emerged as a reflection of participatory democracy with its principles, arising from the assertion that social factors are neglected in management. Among these principles, the principle of participation in governance, emphasizing the involvement of the state, private sector, and civil sectors in governance within the framework of neo-liberal policies, has gained prominence. The approach, while globally emerging in the 90s, has become more pronounced in Turkey since the 2000s. Legislative and policy regulations, which can also be interpreted as a result of external and internal factors within the scope of democratization and freedoms, have become more noticeable, especially from this date. The governance regulations implemented in Turkey after 2000, primarily focusing on five-year development plans, have been attempted to be analyzed through descriptive texts transformed into legislation, depicting the stages of participation in civil society, and how it is included in public policies, referring to source texts.