NUMBER OF EUROINTEGRATION OPPONENTS INCREASED IN TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2006 17:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Abrupt decrease of European-leaning moods is
registered in Turkey. If 57.4% of the population of the country were
for accession to the EU, now this idea is supported only by 32.2%,
indicate the returns of a sociological survey held in 32 out of
81 Turkish provinces, the Milliyet reports. "The number of European
integration opponents has abruptly increased in Turkey," the newspaper
writes. "The percentage of those thinking that the country should by
no means enter the EU went up to 25.6% in 2006.

This number was 17.9% in 2002," the Milliyet notes.

The EU demands that for full membership Turkey hold reforms,
specifically in democratization of internal legislation, human rights,
freedom of expression, solution of the Cyprus issue.

Official talks on Turkey’s accession to the EU were launched October 4,
2005. Within a year, according to reports of sociologists, the number
of Euro-pessimists increased in Turkey almost twice. "At present 33.3%
of respondents say they do not care, whether their country will join
the EU or not. A similar opinion was expressed by 18.2% a year ago,"
the research data says. The survey has indicated that most Turks
do not trust the EU- 78.1% among those questioned. At that 76.5% of
respondents believe that the EU will toughen EU accession criteria,
the source writes.

The survey in Turkey reflects European moods towards that
country. According to latest surveys, most residents of EU member
states do not want Turkey to join the EU. Some 35% of respondents
support Turkey at present. According to estimates of Western experts,
the European integration process in Turkey may take 15-20 years,
reports RIA Novosti.