Non governmental organizations approach to Turkeys foreignpolitics in the context of Turkey and Armenia relations normalization process

Civil society and civil society organizations are discussed in a broad perspective culminating in some even contending definitions. This diversity of definitions is mostly derived from the changing relations between civil society and state. On the other side, currently civil society-state relations can not be contained within the domestic politics and furthermore, in paralel with the process of globalization it has turned out a global issue, a part of discussion around global governance. Of course, from now on it is more difficult to generate a template relating the place of civil society and civil society organization in global as well as domestic politics.It is observed that the literature on civil society continues to enlarge so as to incorporate theoretical discussions relating their functions in international arena, thereby luring the attention of the student of international politics. On the other side, civil society organizations are aware that they can influence more efficiently their respective societies as well as states by bringing the issues to the agenda of international community. Naturally, for this reason, on the one hand transnational bounds have become vital for civil society organizations, and on the other, their attention to international events have gradually increased. Consequently, they attained in some cases important roles in the course of inter-state relations as well. This study aims at unfolding the political stand and influence of the civil society organizations on the Turkish-Armenian relations, particularly on their role in the normalization of their relations.One of the outstanding matters in the Turkish foreign policy agenda had been the normalization of relations with Armenia. In the last decade, both parties spent concrete effort to solve their mutual problems through dialogue and mutual empathy. In the beginning of the 2000s the parties established informal relations and at last in 2007 the rapprochement continues with mutual official gestures. The process that took its start with so-called ?football diplomacy? resulted in the signature of two important protocols in 2009. However, this process had to be suspended due to some domestic political developments and it was abated totally when the parliaments of the two countries did not ratify the protocols in 2010. This study purports to enlighten the political position, role and efficiency of the selected civil society organization in Turkey in regard with the ongoing rapprochement process between Armenia and Turkey. For this purpose, it is allotted a space to the theoretical discussions relating the role of civil society organizations in foreign policy making process, particularly focusing on the positions of civil society against the state. In the same vein, the selected civil society organizations? role in the Turkish-Armenian normalization are elaborated within the same theoretical perspective. Keywords: Armenia, Protocols, Normalization, Civil Society