Reuters
Ankara
Turks are gloomy about the country’s economic prospects, suspicious of international partners and opposed to military involvement in neighbouring Syria, according to new research released yesterday.
But a majority still favour membership in the European Union, according to the Turkish Perceptions Survey released by the German Marshall Fund.
Turkey has been battered by domestic and international headwinds in recent months, with inconclusive elections, weak economic growth, regional conflicts and a surge in Kurdish militant violence fanning unease in the Nato member.
The survey paints a picture of a population with weakening faith in the economic outlook after a period of growth that fuelled more than a decade of electoral success for President Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling AK Party he founded.
It points to the challenge facing AKP as it attempts to woo back voters ahead of snap elections on November 1, after the party lost its majority in June polls for the first time in 13 years.
Evidence of Turkish misgivings towards international partners comes at a time when the US is keen to see Ankara do more in the fight against Islamic State in Syria, and Europe attempts to forge agreement with Turkey on the handling of millions of refugees who have fled Syria.
Of those questions, 47% said the economy had worsened in the last five years and only 39% said it had improved. Looking forward to the next year, 44% predict the economy will worsen and 28% expect an upturn.
Despite a stalled EU accession bid and bitter disagreements over migration and human rights, 44% of Turks still favour membership of the bloc, with 23% opposed.
Nato and the UN were viewed as trustworthy by just one-third of respondents. Most Turks were unable to identify a single one of the country’s international partners. Of those that did, most identified the US.
US foreign policies were widely distrusted however, with just 17% agreeing with Washington’s Middle East policies.
Some 57% opposed military intervention against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and just 17% said Turkey should be actively involved if the US-led coalition decided to intervene. Another 38% believe Turkey should stay out of the coalition altogether.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (centre) gestures during a visit to a market as part of the election campaign in Istanbul yesterday.
