Tweet
Turks' EU enthusiasm on the wane: survey
EUbusiness
07/04/2005
The majority of Turks are in favour of their country's bid to join the
European Union, but the traditionally strong support for membership
has fallen off, according to a public opinion poll published in Turkey
on Thursday.
The survey, conducted last week among 3,302 people by the Pollmark
research company, found that 63.5 percent of the population backed EU
membership, a decline of about 10 percentage points from a similar
survey carried out by Pollmark last June, the Milliyet newspaper
reported.
The Turks' support for EU membership has been measured between 70
and 80 percent in recent years.
The fall off in support is a result of rising nationalist sentiments,
fuelled by debates over Kurdish rights, the Cyprus conflict and
international pressure on Ankara to recognize as genocide the killings
of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, the coordinator of the Pollmark
survey, Ihsan Dagi, said.
Turkey is set to begin membership talks on October 3.
EUbusiness
07/04/2005
The majority of Turks are in favour of their country's bid to join the
European Union, but the traditionally strong support for membership
has fallen off, according to a public opinion poll published in Turkey
on Thursday.
The survey, conducted last week among 3,302 people by the Pollmark
research company, found that 63.5 percent of the population backed EU
membership, a decline of about 10 percentage points from a similar
survey carried out by Pollmark last June, the Milliyet newspaper
reported.
The Turks' support for EU membership has been measured between 70
and 80 percent in recent years.
The fall off in support is a result of rising nationalist sentiments,
fuelled by debates over Kurdish rights, the Cyprus conflict and
international pressure on Ankara to recognize as genocide the killings
of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, the coordinator of the Pollmark
survey, Ihsan Dagi, said.
Turkey is set to begin membership talks on October 3.