Civil society organizations are a crucial part of democratic systems. They function as mechanisms that often enhance governmental accountability and pluralism, and contribute to democratic consolidation in the process. Consequently, it is crucial for us to assess the conditions under which ruling elites respond to civil society demands. This paper will study the case of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as an example. Although the AKP has adopted most of the EU's democratic membership criteria, it has consistently resisted the EU's demands to involve civil society in policy-making. The party has also ignored most civil society organizations (especially labor and professional organizations)' legitimate democratic demands. In contrast, it has been relatively cooperative with big business associations. What accounts for this variation? How much of this variation is due to these organizations' differential resources and political opportunities versus AKP's own political calculations and agendas These questions provide the focus of the paper.