Turkey losing appetite for EU bid

Domestic support for Turkey’s European Union membership is losing its momentum, as two thirds of Turks say they’ve lost their appetite for the EU bid and believe Ankara should abandon its pursuit of full membership, a recent study has shown, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The survey demonstrated that while one third of those surveyed agreed Turkey should persevere with the goal of becoming an EU member, two-thirds of the public lean closer to the view that Turkey should not become a full member. TNS-Turkey undertook the survey on behalf of the Center for Economy and Foreign Policy Research (EDAM) with the participation of 1,509 people aged 18 and above whom represented a cross-section of the country’s urban and rural populations.

Participants were asked, “On the 50th anniversary of EU-Turkey relations and the eighth year of accession negotiations, which of the following policies do you think Turkey should follow in the next five years?”