Turkey’s EU rapprochement, as well as its broader interaction with a range of other international donor institutions, are reshaping ways in which civic activism is perceived and practiced in Turkey. Most notably it has introduced the notions of ‘project’ and ‘project-making’ (proje and projecilik), which today feature prominently among civic activists. Many work on, seek to become part of, or on their own try to develop a project. At the same time civic activists are divided as to the implications of the increased focus on projects. Many local activists are left behind, it is argued by some, because they do not have the capacity to develop and participate in projects, while other activists renounce the project culture for various ideological reasons. Yet even more activists, though, have oriented themselves towards thinking and acting in terms of projects. These developments reflect how the EU accession process also has ramifications in terms of shaping social practices, outlooks and orientations. The accession process is laid forth as consisting in various chapters to be negotiated and implemented. However, we have to recall that the implementation of these chapters is not just about content but also about the particular social techniques, through which this implementation is performed. Project is one such dominant social technique. The paper, hence, attempts to look at various aspects of the impact of the introduction of a project culture on civic activism in Turkey. It suggests how such analyses can offer insights into the socio-cultural dynamics of EU-Turkey relations.