Study: "Culture colors EU perceptions of Turks"

Cultural factors are among the main elements influencing European perceptions of Turks, according a new study conducted by a prominent Istanbul university. The research, made public this week by Bosporus University's European Studies Center, also showed that younger Europeans are more supportive of Turkey's entry to the European Union than older ones. The study is based on a poll of 5,000 people in Germany, France, Britain, Spain and Poland from this August to September. The poll's most striking discovery is the contrast in Europeans' outlooks towards Turkey compared to other candidate countries. Democracy, human rights, economic development and welfare are the main criteria the five EU countries identify with. The respondents also said that in general, the two most important criteria for a candidate country joining the EU should be its performance on democracy and human rights and its contribution to Europe's overall welfare. Yet when it comes to Turkey's EU prospects, only 26.8 percent of those polled said economic factors are important, while 40.4 percent said cultural factors are the main element influencing their opinion. This trend was especially true in France. The results of the survey indicate the need for outreach to dispel misperceptions of Turks and Turkish culture among Europeans. Due to this need, Turkey's Secretariat-General for European Affairs has recently begun working on a major promotional campaign towards the European public.