Public Opinion in Turkey: Social and Political Implications of Recent Trends

Abstract

This study reveals what the public thinks about current issues in Turkey, and whether the recent trends have any reflections on social, political, and cultural structure of the country. The data collected with this research provide important insights into public's opinion regarding current and potential issues in Turkey, and also guide policymakers in shaping the public policies. The outputs of this study may also encourage scholars and researchers from different fields and backgrounds to study and discuss public opinion with its complex dynamics and milieu of dimensions. This research delivers some of the most evocative and current issues in Turkey; the most important current problems, the economy, terror, the Kurdish issue, government and opposition parties' evaluations, political vacuum, institutional evaluations, political polarization/judicial system, democracy and social relations/change in Turkey. According to the survey, the Turkish public views "terrorism" as the most important problem facing the country. The most critical economic issues are determined as unemployment, depreciation of the Turkish lira. In addition to these, foreign policy approval rate and support for EU membership increased. While the media was again the least trusted institution, trust in institutions generally increased.