"This research project, introducing a novel conceptual framework to Europeanisation studies, is designed to explore the impact of the EU and other institutions, norms and policies of European integration on the politically mobilised civil society in Turkey. By the impact of Europe on civil society organizations (CSOs), we both mean the impact of the EU-induced legislative engineering (EU-isation) on the development of civic/political rights; and the usage of European norms, policies and institutions (Europeanisation) by CSOs a) to develop their organisational structure and effectiveness, and b) to frame and justify their deliberative positions. This research focuses on the CSOs that are actively involved in the debates concerning the rising political Islam and Kurdish identity claims in Turkey. We investigate how and in what ways the EU-required legal and constitutional reforms (EU-isation) on the freedom of association and assembly have affected the political/structural conditions in which CSOs operate in Turkey. Secondly, we explore how the CSOs react to and make use of the EU/European context (Europeanisation) to increase their influence and to promote their political agenda. Another empirical goal of the research is to map out the variety of discourses concerning the EU and Europe disseminated by the CSOs in Turkey.At the theoretical level, on the bases of critical engagement with the concept of Europeanisation, we aim to develop a new analytical framework to Europeanisation studies. Analytically, we develop a clear distinction between EU-isation as a domestic process of legislative, institutional and policy engineering aiming at alignment with EU’s body of law and institutions, and Europeanisation as a wider socio-political and normative context."