Turkish Public Opinion on Foreign Policy and Security

Opening Remarks

• Ian Lesser, Vice President and Executive Director, Brussels

Speakers

• Nicholas Danforth, Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow, ELIAMEP
• Dorothée Schmid, Senior Research Fellow, Head of Turkey and Middle East Program, IFRI
• Özgür Ünlühisarcıklı, Director, Ankara Office, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

Moderator

• Kadri Taştan, GMF-TOBB Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

Alongside perceptions of the ruling elite on national interest and ideational factors, public opinion is one of the key drivers of Turkish foreign policy.

The recent survey, Dimensions of Polarization in Turkey 2020, demonstrates both the highly polarized nature of Turkish society and that Turkish foreign policy is largely an island of agreement. The survey provides insight into the approaches of constituencies of major political parties in Turkey as well as their focus on certain foreign policy issues, particularly issue such as whether to take military action versus relying on diplomacy, relations with allies, sources of threat, and the EU accession process. 

The project was conducted by The German Marshall Fund of the United States and İstanbul Bilgi University Migration Research Center for Migration Research (BILGI-Migration) as part of the Strategies and Tools for Mitigating Polarization Project, and through the financial support of The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).

Please join us for a conversation on Turkish public opinion and its potential impact on Turkey’s orientation in the foreseeable future.

If you have any questions, please contact Annika Vollmer at [email protected].

This online event is part of a series of events and analyses organized as part of the GMF-TOBB Fellowship on Turkey, Europe, and Global Issues launched by GMF in partnership with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in 2017.