Poll on Turks' attitude towards Europe

[Skybird]

This is a bot-translation of a summary regarding some key numbers ina recent poll that looked at turk'S attitude towards turkey'S EU-membership. Since the study has been co-funded by British offices, one has to take it with caution, since it means that methodology probably shows a pro-membership bias as it is typical for anglosaxon polcies, for both Londo90wn and Washington want the Turks in the EU, anbd the British goal always was to keep the EU from united strength by making it speak with as many vpoices as possible.

However, if even such a probably biased, politically lobbied poll shows such worrying figures in some questions, then this means something.

Of course the realistic expectation must be that the EU will ignore such things as best as it could.

http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools


Last time I cchecked the map, Turkey was geographically more middle east than europe. Ethnically, it is no european at all, nor is culture-wise, language-wise, values-wise.

Would anyone consider Afghanistan or Iran to be part of European culture? ethincally, language-wise, and culturally, Turkey is much closer to these, than to any european country.

P.S.
There is some trouble with direct linking to the translation site, so here is the text:

More than half of the Turks, according to a recent survey, want their country's accession to the EU. At the same time, they diffuse fears with it. To many Turks believe that the EU is mainly a spread of Christianity was the goal. An alarming are the results of the survey on the topic of women.

In 2004, as in Turkey mood prevailed on policy reform and EU candidacy, as wanted for more than 70 percent, that their country is EU member. Since then, much Disappointing happens, the EU was in the eyes of many Turks for more and more enemies. The low point was reached in January 2008, when, according to polls only 30 percent in the EU wanted.

Since then the pendulum swings back the other direction. In April 2008 the agreement was at 47 percent, and a new poll of Bahcesehir University, funded by the British Foreign Office, now at 57 percent approval for EU accession.

A bit schizophrenic, however, it is because the poll revealed about the EU's huge prejudice and considerable ignorance. A quarter of respondents did not know whether Turkey was EU member or not. 81 percent were of the opinion that the supreme goal of the EU was to spread Christianity, and 71 said that the EU wants to crush Turkey-
The study reveals a deeply religious-oriented Turkey, 62 percent of respondents mentioned religion as a top priority in their lives, only 13 percent say the same about democracy. 75 percent want Koranic schools for their children, 33 percent believe that women deserve some whipping, 58 percent believe that women should obey their husbands, and 22 percent said they would stojne-to-death adulteresses.

Much intolerance is evident in the responses to the question of whom you would like as neighbors. 64 percent do not want Jews, 66 percent no atheists, 72 percent want no neighbor who drinks alcohol. 52 percent do not want to live next to Christians.

Remarkably, the corresponding values are significantly higher for the age group of 15-18 years. The expression can be lack of nuances in the young, or the result of eight years of religiously-influenced AKP government and correspondingly increasing influence of Islamic media, organizations and ideologies.

[Respenus]

Thank you for the link Skybird.

This results will play nicely into the hands of Merkel and Sarkozy, who would most probably rather sell their mothers to slavery than see Turkey as a member of the EU. And these results confirm your statement. We have been fed "lies" that Turkey wants to enter and it "does", at least officially and it did before AKP took over. Now, it seems they are after EU support, which has almost stopped in recent years, particularly the support for minorities and civil rights groups. Furthermore, the results are scary. Only 13% of pro-democracy populace, to what? almost 100% in Europe. Plus only 25% of the populace supports lay schools and they believe women deserve to be whipped.

Now, I am not someone who will discriminate someone based on his faith, yet I will not stand and take without response a blatant disrespect of even most basic human rights. Even China got those partly right and they are always under pressure to reform. While I do believe the Islamic world is not all like that, the results from Turkey are quite frankly scary. What are we going to do? Give them money for reforms and try to broker a deal or say no to any form of supranational cooperation, an option which seems more and more viable, yet which no politician wants to say publicly, even though they know it is the only option left. It is a NATO thing after all and the US do want Turkey to join to have a friendly corridor to the Middle East.

[Schroeder]

Was that so unexpected?
I still don't see why some countries want Turkey in the EU. I don't see any benefit for us in this but plenty of problems.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

Was that so unexpected?

for some, yes. Especially for those wish-the-world-different-kind of politicians who do not miss a single opportunity to stress that Turkey and Europe shares the same values and the same culture.

Of course, they will carry on filling wax into their ears, poking pencils in their eyes, and sticking their heads into the sand.

One reason Turkish are sceptical about the EU is because they know that they might get a better deal from the Far-Eastern economic powerhouses such as Japan or China if they stay out of the union. If they join they would have to pretty much close the borders from them and adapt the Euro model in economy etc.

This is one aspect that the anti-Turkish/Muslim/etc. crowd often disregards.

[Schroeder]

Why would that be so? Have we closed our border for Japan and China? I wasn't aware of that.

Trade is easier within the Eurozone but EU tariffs etc. for outside trade make it more difficult across it's borders. Norway is a good example of this, although they haven't been quite as succesful as they thought, I expect them to join up eventually.

China and Turkey have been creating stonger ties for a long time on all levels, economy, military and political. Turkey would be a good foothold for China in the west, close to Europe and a Nato-country.