A new nationwide survey shows most people in Turkey support NATO membership and the continuation of the country’s long-stalled bid to join the European Union but remain divided over which global bloc Ankara should align with in the future, the Kısa Dalga news website reported.
The poll, conducted September 20-26 by Gündemar Research on 2,235 participants across 60 provinces, found that 63 percent support NATO membership while 22 percent oppose it. Sixty percent back Turkey’s EU accession process compared to 25 percent who want it ended. Turkey joined NATO in 1952 following its establishment in 1949 but has seen its EU candidacy frozen for years over concerns about democratic backsliding.
In May the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to keep accession talks suspended, stressing that Turkey’s strategic importance does not outweigh concerns over the rule of law and democratic standards.
When asked which bloc Turkey should prioritize, no single option commanded majority support: 24 percent favored closer ties with Turkic states, 23 percent backed an independent foreign policy path, 18 percent supported alignment with Russia and China and 17 percent opted for the West, including the EU and the United States.
The survey also reflected frustration with Turkey’s standing in international institutions, with 56 percent of respondents saying its role in organizations such as the United Nations, NATO and the EU is inadequate.
Foreign policy and Israel’s war on Gaza
On the Gaza war, respondents expressed overwhelming sympathy for Palestinians, with 83 percent saying they side with Palestine and just 6 percent with Israel. Nearly nine in 10 said Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since October 2023 has been unjustified.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 168,000 wounded since Israel launched its offensive following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,206 people and saw around 250 others taken hostage.
Views on the Hamas assault were divided: 44 percent said it was justified while 32 percent disagreed. Respondents were also critical of Ankara’s response to the conflict, with 42 percent calling it ineffective and only 23 percent describing it as strong and consistent.
Domestic concerns and leadership
The survey also revealed public unease over the presence of millions of Syrian refugees. Fifty-six percent said all Syrians should be sent back, while 25 percent favored allowing only the qualified to stay. Turkey hosts the world’s largest Syrian refugee population, once estimated at 3.5 million. Turkish interior minister says more than 1.24 million have voluntarily returned home since 2016.
Respondents also voiced skepticism over Ankara’s foreign policy. Fifty-two percent rated the government’s handling of foreign affairs as unsuccessful, while 40 percent judged it successful.
On Turkey’s global status 32 percent said they see the country as a regional power, 24 percent as a mid-sized state with limited influence and 20 percent as a global power.
Asked which politician is best suited to lead foreign policy, 37 percent named President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, far ahead of Özgür Özel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, with 19 percent. Ümit Özdağ, leader of the anti-refugee Victory Party, ranked third with 7 percent.