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Opinion poll in Turkey shows people see Azerbaijan as the closest country

05 December 2013 09:19 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. Kadir Has University in Kayseri, Turkey, conducted an opinion poll to learn people’s views on foreign policy issues. APA reports quoting Cihan agency that 1000 people were interviewed in 26 provinces. According to the poll, respondents said they see Azerbaijan as the closest country. The poll shows that the number of the people supporting close relations with the Turkic world has risen.

Most of the respondents – 65 per cent consider that Turkey’s most serious foreign policy problem is Syria. Only 24 per cent of the respondents regard as successful the government’s policy on Syria. 41.7 per cent of respondents do not want Turkey to interfere in the Syria problem. 5.2 per cent of the respondents want armed opposition groups in Syria to be supported.

In 2012, 34.7 per cent thought the government’s foreign policy was successful, this year the support dropped to 25 percent. 38.6 per cent of the respondents consider that Turkey has no friend, 28 per cent see Azerbaijan as the closest country. 24 per cent of the respondents think that Turkey must pursue its foreign policy jointly with Azerbaijan and other Turkic-speaking states. 21 per cent of them support the conduct of foreign policy alone, 14.2 per cent together with the United States, 12.5 per cent with the Islamic countries and 10.3 per cent with the European Union. The lack of confidence of the Turkish society in the relations with Iran arouses interest. Only 5.7 per cent of the respondents want to pursue the foreign policy jointly with this country. Moreover, along with the U.S and Israel, Iran is also considered as a country that poses a threat to Turkey.

47.5 per cent support Turkey’s accession to the EU, but the vast majority (77%) believes that Brussels is not sincere toward Turkey. 46 per cent of the respondents are sure that Turkey will never be admitted to the EU. 26 per cent of them want the establishment of the Turkish Union as an alternative to the EU, 12.5 per cent the strengthening of alliance with NATO and the U.S., 12.6 per cent wants the increase of the country’s role in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, 12.3 per cent establishment of strategic partnership with Russia and 9 per cent want to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.