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48% OF TURKS SAY EU MEMBERSHIP IS A "A GOOD THING"
PanARMENIAN.Net
September 19, 2011 - 13:11 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - According to the 2011 Transatlantic Trends public
opinion survey released by the German Marshall Fund of the United
States (GMF), Turkish and European public opinion has started to warm
up to each other and the foundations of relations are strong at the
public opinion level.
Today's Zaman reports that when asked if Turkey is likely to join the
European Union, 33 percent of the Turkish public welcomed the idea,
as opposed to 26 percent last year. In 2007 and 2008, 26 percent of
Turks surveyed said Turkey was likely to join the EU. That figure
was 28 percent in 2009.
Moreover, 48 percent of the Turkish respondents of the survey -
compared to 38 percent last year - said that Turkish membership in
the EU is "a good thing."
Public opinion in the EU was not totally against Turkey's EU accession,
but most people were divided or pessimistic about the benefits of
Turkish membership. On average, 48 percent of EU respondents agreed
that Turkey's membership in the EU would help promote peace and
stability in the Middle East. However, this was not shared in all
countries; majorities in France (59 percent) and the Netherlands
(51 percent) as well as a plurality in Slovakia (46 percent) disagreed.
The survey also pointed out that half of those polled in 12 EU
countries disagreed that Turkey's EU membership would be good in
economic terms for the EU, while 39 percent agreed that it would be
economically beneficial. The French (63 percent), Swedes (62 percent),
Germans (58 percent), Spanish (55 percent) and Dutch (54 percent) were
the most likely to see Turkey's EU membership as negatively affecting
the EU economy. The majority of Turks (55 percent), on the other hand,
thought that EU membership would be good for the Turkish economy.
The majority of those living in the EU countries surveyed (56 percent),
including relatively strong majorities in Sweden (66 percent), the UK
(65 percent), Spain (64 percent) and Germany (62 percent), did not
believe that Turkey's predominantly Muslim population was a reason
to keep Turkey out of the EU. A majority of Bulgarians (58 percent)
and many people from Poland (46 percent) and Slovakia (48 percent)
believed that EU membership for a predominantly Muslim population
might be a problem.
The annual Transatlantic Trends series aim to explore how Americans,
Europeans and Turks view the transatlantic relationship and challenges
facing the world specific to the year of the survey, according to
the project's website. The 2011 survey marks the 10th study the
project has conducted to analyze global trends, as well as threats,
from the point of view of thousands of people from 12 EU countries,
the US and Turkey. The 2011 survey, conducted between May 25 and June
20, includes roughly 1,000 respondents from each, and the margin of
error is acknowledged to be plus or minus three points.
PanARMENIAN.Net
September 19, 2011 - 13:11 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - According to the 2011 Transatlantic Trends public
opinion survey released by the German Marshall Fund of the United
States (GMF), Turkish and European public opinion has started to warm
up to each other and the foundations of relations are strong at the
public opinion level.
Today's Zaman reports that when asked if Turkey is likely to join the
European Union, 33 percent of the Turkish public welcomed the idea,
as opposed to 26 percent last year. In 2007 and 2008, 26 percent of
Turks surveyed said Turkey was likely to join the EU. That figure
was 28 percent in 2009.
Moreover, 48 percent of the Turkish respondents of the survey -
compared to 38 percent last year - said that Turkish membership in
the EU is "a good thing."
Public opinion in the EU was not totally against Turkey's EU accession,
but most people were divided or pessimistic about the benefits of
Turkish membership. On average, 48 percent of EU respondents agreed
that Turkey's membership in the EU would help promote peace and
stability in the Middle East. However, this was not shared in all
countries; majorities in France (59 percent) and the Netherlands
(51 percent) as well as a plurality in Slovakia (46 percent) disagreed.
The survey also pointed out that half of those polled in 12 EU
countries disagreed that Turkey's EU membership would be good in
economic terms for the EU, while 39 percent agreed that it would be
economically beneficial. The French (63 percent), Swedes (62 percent),
Germans (58 percent), Spanish (55 percent) and Dutch (54 percent) were
the most likely to see Turkey's EU membership as negatively affecting
the EU economy. The majority of Turks (55 percent), on the other hand,
thought that EU membership would be good for the Turkish economy.
The majority of those living in the EU countries surveyed (56 percent),
including relatively strong majorities in Sweden (66 percent), the UK
(65 percent), Spain (64 percent) and Germany (62 percent), did not
believe that Turkey's predominantly Muslim population was a reason
to keep Turkey out of the EU. A majority of Bulgarians (58 percent)
and many people from Poland (46 percent) and Slovakia (48 percent)
believed that EU membership for a predominantly Muslim population
might be a problem.
The annual Transatlantic Trends series aim to explore how Americans,
Europeans and Turks view the transatlantic relationship and challenges
facing the world specific to the year of the survey, according to
the project's website. The 2011 survey marks the 10th study the
project has conducted to analyze global trends, as well as threats,
from the point of view of thousands of people from 12 EU countries,
the US and Turkey. The 2011 survey, conducted between May 25 and June
20, includes roughly 1,000 respondents from each, and the margin of
error is acknowledged to be plus or minus three points.