Turkey's accession to EU seems doubtful for 70pct of Turkish population
By Kamila Aliyeva
About 68.8 percent of the Turkish population does not believe in Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU), according to the results of the survey conducted by the Turkish Economic Development Foundation (IKV), media reported.
As many as 31.2 percent of Turkish citizens believe that the country may become a full-fledged member of the EU, according to the survey.
Over 50 percent of the Turkish population believes that Russia is an important strategic partner of Turkey.
Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Turkey does not need the EU, however, the European Union must make a final decision on the membership of Ankara in this structure as soon as possible.
Islamophobia, which can lead Europe to a serious crisis, has greatly increased in recent years in the EU, according to the minister.
The future of Turkey’s EU membership talks has become a hot topic for discussion amid rising tensions between Ankara and Brussels.
Turkey’s accession negotiations started in 2005, but until Turkey agrees to apply the Additional Protocol of the Ankara Association Agreement to Cyprus, eight negotiation chapters will not be opened and no chapter will be provisionally closed. The talks have reached a deadlock in 2007 as Turkey was not ready to change its position on Cyprus while German and French governments also opposed the country’s full EU membership.
Turkey’s ties with the EU have worsened last July after a failed coup attempt. Ankara also criticized Germany, Belgium and several other European countries for turning a blind eye to outlawed groups and terrorist organizations hostile to Turkey.
European officials have repeatedly questioned widespread investigations by the Turkish authorities into the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which Ankara accuses of having organized the defeated military coup attempt.
However, Ankara insists it is acting to maintain security in the country, which has seen hundreds of its citizens killed in terrorist attacks by different groups over the past years.
Relations further deteriorated following an April referendum which expanded the powers of the president. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's (PACE) recent decision to reopen a political monitoring process against Turkey also negatively affected Ankara-Brussels ties.
---
Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz