This article discusses the cultural sector in Turkey from the viewpoint that culture in any context is hybrid, permeable and rich in character. It questions whether evaluating Turkey’s cultural sector using criteria developed elsewhere would do justice to the diverse ways in which culture is produced and consumed in this country. Focusing on the growing cultural sector, the article highlights the developments in the formation of civil society in Turkey over the past 20 years. These developments have occurred at a time of globalisation and an expanding market economy and media sector. Finally, based on the author’s own observations, the article describes some of the challenges faced by independent cultural organisations in Turkey. These include limited management capacities, problems of sustainability, and the lack of cultural policies centrally and locally – challenges some of which are similar to those experienced by organisations elsewhere, while some originate from the specific context of Turkey and therefore require homemade solutions.

Dr. Deniz Ünsal is an Assistant Professor at Istanbul Bilgi University, specialising in arts management. Her publications include (as co-author) Urban Islam: Rethinking the Familiar (ISIM, 2004).