02/11/2025 - 01:25
The 5th and the final meeting we organized within the scope of Haklara Destek program titled “Freedom of Association: Regulations, Restrictions, and Struggles” was held on December 4 in Diyarbakır with the participation of 26 people. The event featured two guest speakers from the Netherlands and Hungary. During the meeting, attendees find the opportunity to engage in discussions on current debates and developments related to freedom of association, both in Turkey and globally.
The contributions of András Léderer from the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Thalia Malmberg from the Human Security Collective and Duygu Doğan from the Third Sector Foundation of Türkiye enriched the meeting. The participants included Association for Monitoring and Preventing Child Labor, Denizli Autism Association, Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, Association of Barrier Free Access, Migration Research Association, Right to Health Association, Clean Clothes Campaign Association and Van Hearing-Impaired People and Their Families Association. Additionally, Diyarbakır Women’s Culture, Arts and Literature Association, Diyarbakır Women’s Academy Association and Diyarbakır Bar Association LGBTI+ Commission also accepted our invitation and contributed to the meeting.
In the panel titled “Global and Local Dynamics in Freedom of Association: Legal Limits and Strategies in Turkey, Hungary, and International Contexts,” András Léderer, Thalia Malmberg, and Duygu Doğan discussed the findings of reports prepared by their respective organizations. They shared examples from their fields of work, highlighting how civil space is increasingly subjected to arbitrary interventions and criminalization. Drawing on examples from Turkey and other countries, we discussed how pressure on civil society is intensified through long-term sentences and detentions, and how freedom of association is undermined by efforts to criminalize civic activism. In the second part of the panel, we emphasized the importance of sharing experiences and making these pressures visible in the face of intimidation. Additionally, we explored the responsibilities that organizations have undertaken—and can continue to undertake—in response to these challenges.
We also highlighted the importance of solidarity and the need for collective action to resist the spread of fear, emphasizing the necessity of building new partnerships and alliances. In the afternoon, we facilitated a group workshop based on the discussions initiated by the speakers. Together, we explored ways to strengthen solidarity networks, run effective campaigns, and address potential challenges within these networks.
We extend our gratitude to all the organizations that participated in the network meeting for their valuable insights and contributions.