POLL SHOWS TURKISH NATIONALISM ON THE RISE

Al-Arab online, UK
March 12 2007

A majority of Turks believes nationalism is on the rise in Turkey
and that the European Union’s treatment of their country is the
main reason, according to a poll published in the Milliyet newspaper
on Monday.

The poll, conducted last month by the A&G market research company,
found just over 50 percent of those canvassed felt nationalism was
rising against 30 percent who disagreed.

About one fifth of those polled said they personally felt more
nationalistic.

The survey coincides with soul-searching in Turkey over the recent
murder of a prominent Turkish Armenian editor in Istanbul by an
ultra-nationalist teenager.

One third of the poll’s respondents blamed the increase in nationalism
on the European Union, which Turkey hopes to join.

In December, Brussels froze entry talks with Turkey in eight of 35
policy areas because of Ankara’s refusal to open its ports to EU
member state Cyprus.

Ankara has no diplomatic ties with the internationally recognised
Greek Cypriot government.

Many Turks feel the EU puts unfair pressure on their country over a
wide range of issues and that the wealthy bloc does not really want
Turkey, a large, relatively poor, Muslim country, as a member.

The second reason given for the upsurge in Turkish nationalism was
the "inadequacy of Turkish foreign policy" on issues such as Iraq
and Cyprus.

Ankara is very worried about the possible disintegration of
neighbouring Iraq and the emergence of an independent Kurdish state
in northern Iraq which could fan separatism among the large Kurdish
population of southeast Turkey.

In Cyprus, Turkish Cypriots remain subject to international trade
sanctions despite their support for a U.N.-backed reunification plan
in 2004.

Only Ankara recognises the Turkish Cypriots’ breakaway enclave in
northern Cyprus.

The A&G survey canvassed the views of 2,396 people across the country
on February 17-18.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress