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SPLIT ON FOREIGN POLICY DRIVE
Hurriyet
June 1 2011
Turkey
Foreign-policy perceptions in Turkey change from region to region,
with the biggest difference seen in the Kurdish-dominated Southeast,
according to a recent survey made public Wednesday in Istanbul.
Overall, 69 percent of those surveyed said they want Turkey to become
a European Union member, but this stance varied widely by region,
according to the report published by the Turkish Economic and Social
Studies Foundation, or TESEV. Ninety-one percent of respondents in
Southeast Anatolia said they want to see Turkey in the EU, followed by
87 percent in the country's East. The Aegean region had third-highest
rate of support, with 74 percent.
In Central Anatolia, 58 percent of respondents said they favored
EU membership.
Respondents in the Southeast also had different opinions on the
relations between Turkey and the United States than did their
counterparts in other countries.
Fifty-two percent of all respondents said the approach of the United
States is not friendly toward Turkey, an opinion only 39 percent held
in the Southeast. Forty-one percent of those surveyed in the Southeast,
compared to 27 percent overall, said they found the U.S.
approach toward Turkey to be friendly.
Regional differentiations were also observed on reconciliation with
Armenia, with 60 percent in Turkey's Black Sea region objecting
to establishing diplomatic ties with Armenia and opening the border
between the neighboring countries. Overall disapproval of establishing
diplomatic ties was measured at 44 percent.
The survey showed conflicting results when it comes to the United
States, which ranked second after Israel (40 percent) on the list of
countries with a hostile attitude toward Turkey. The United States,
however, also ranked third on the list of countries with a friendly
approach toward Turkey. Fifty-three percent of those surveyed said
the see the future of Turkish-U.S. relations as positive.
The high rate of support for Turkey's EU bid and the outlook on
Turkish-U.S. relations were interpreted by analysts who worked on
the report as refuting claims that Turkey's axis is shifting away
from the West.
"The results reveal that Turkish society is not emotionally distancing
itself from the concept called the 'West,'" the report said.
Overall, Turkish foreign policy received a 65 percent approval rate.
Twenty-five percent said they believe the prime minister is the most
important person or institution in foreign-policy decision-making,
while 25 percent said it is the Foreign Ministry. Only 1 percent said
the citizens are influential in decision-making.
The results show that Turkish society has endorsed peaceful measures
that have come to the forefront in the country's policies, said Mensur
Akgun, one of the contributors to the survey.
A low rate of 8 percent of respondents said they believe Turkish
Cyprus should become part of Turkey, while 22 percent want a peaceful
solution based on consensus to the Cyprus issue. Fifty percent
support Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, while 34 percent said the
current situation between Turkey and Israel is hurting the interests
of both countries.
Fifty-four percent of those surveyed said they are interested in
foreign policy. Eighty-eight percent said they get their information
on foreign policy from television, followed by newspapers, with 28
percent, and the Internet, with 12 percent.
Hurriyet
June 1 2011
Turkey
Foreign-policy perceptions in Turkey change from region to region,
with the biggest difference seen in the Kurdish-dominated Southeast,
according to a recent survey made public Wednesday in Istanbul.
Overall, 69 percent of those surveyed said they want Turkey to become
a European Union member, but this stance varied widely by region,
according to the report published by the Turkish Economic and Social
Studies Foundation, or TESEV. Ninety-one percent of respondents in
Southeast Anatolia said they want to see Turkey in the EU, followed by
87 percent in the country's East. The Aegean region had third-highest
rate of support, with 74 percent.
In Central Anatolia, 58 percent of respondents said they favored
EU membership.
Respondents in the Southeast also had different opinions on the
relations between Turkey and the United States than did their
counterparts in other countries.
Fifty-two percent of all respondents said the approach of the United
States is not friendly toward Turkey, an opinion only 39 percent held
in the Southeast. Forty-one percent of those surveyed in the Southeast,
compared to 27 percent overall, said they found the U.S.
approach toward Turkey to be friendly.
Regional differentiations were also observed on reconciliation with
Armenia, with 60 percent in Turkey's Black Sea region objecting
to establishing diplomatic ties with Armenia and opening the border
between the neighboring countries. Overall disapproval of establishing
diplomatic ties was measured at 44 percent.
The survey showed conflicting results when it comes to the United
States, which ranked second after Israel (40 percent) on the list of
countries with a hostile attitude toward Turkey. The United States,
however, also ranked third on the list of countries with a friendly
approach toward Turkey. Fifty-three percent of those surveyed said
the see the future of Turkish-U.S. relations as positive.
The high rate of support for Turkey's EU bid and the outlook on
Turkish-U.S. relations were interpreted by analysts who worked on
the report as refuting claims that Turkey's axis is shifting away
from the West.
"The results reveal that Turkish society is not emotionally distancing
itself from the concept called the 'West,'" the report said.
Overall, Turkish foreign policy received a 65 percent approval rate.
Twenty-five percent said they believe the prime minister is the most
important person or institution in foreign-policy decision-making,
while 25 percent said it is the Foreign Ministry. Only 1 percent said
the citizens are influential in decision-making.
The results show that Turkish society has endorsed peaceful measures
that have come to the forefront in the country's policies, said Mensur
Akgun, one of the contributors to the survey.
A low rate of 8 percent of respondents said they believe Turkish
Cyprus should become part of Turkey, while 22 percent want a peaceful
solution based on consensus to the Cyprus issue. Fifty percent
support Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, while 34 percent said the
current situation between Turkey and Israel is hurting the interests
of both countries.
Fifty-four percent of those surveyed said they are interested in
foreign policy. Eighty-eight percent said they get their information
on foreign policy from television, followed by newspapers, with 28
percent, and the Internet, with 12 percent.