The Impact of Counter-Terrorism Legislation on Civil Society: A Comparative Review of Post-2016 Security Statutes in Egypt and Turkey

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, September 2020 | pp. 73–81

DOI: 10.46882/2020/GJPCS/110901

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Impact of Counter-Terrorism Legislation on Civil Society: A Comparative Review of Post-2016 Security Statutes in Egypt and Turkey

Authors: Nadia M. Al-Shari¹, Youssef Al-Masri²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; ²Department of Political Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Abstract:
Following an escalation in regional security challenges, several states introduced strict counter-terrorism laws designed to safeguard national infrastructure. This paper evaluates the structural impacts of these security laws on the legal and financial space available to independent civil society organizations (CSOs) in Egypt and Turkey up to mid-2020. Using a comparative policy-discourse methodology paired with an institutional tracking survey of 74 domestic human rights groups, we analyze the growth of executive surveillance powers. The legal analysis demonstrates that vaguely written national security clauses have been systematically used to block foreign funding lines and shut down legitimate advocacy platforms. Quantitative indicators reveal a 45% reduction in domestic funding allocations for legal defense NGOs due to aggressive auditing systems. Our findings indicate that suppressing non-violent civil tracking groups harms local trust in public judicial institutions, inadvertently accelerating radicalization within marginalized areas. The study concludes that sustainable security strategies must include independent judicial oversight to protect constitutional liberties.

Keywords: Counter-Terrorism Laws; Civil Society; Executive Oversight; Human Rights; Policy-Discourse; Funding Restrictions

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 14, 2019; Revised: November 02, 2019; Accepted: January 28, 2020; Published: September 12, 2020

Citation: Al-Shari, N. M., & Al-Masri, Y. (2020). The Impact of Counter-Terrorism Legislation on Civil Society: A Comparative Review of Post-2016 Security Statutes in Egypt and Turkey. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 11(9), 73–81. DOI: 10.46882/2020/GJPCS/110901

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