Survey: "Turkey's popularity in the mideast soaring

A new survey found that people in eight Middle Eastern countries view Turkey quite favorably, and positive feelings about Turkey have risen since the last such survey, as Turkey ranked first with 85 percent of respondents having very favorable or favorable views of it. The poll, Perceptions of Turkey in the Middle East 2010, conducted by the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) and KA Research last August and September in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iraq, and Iran, involved 2,267 people. Saudi Arabia was number 2 in the survey's favorable rating, having switched places with Turkey since the 2009 survey. On Turkey's role in the Middle East, three-fourths of respondents said Turkey is an increasingly influential actor in regional politics. About Turkey's mediation between the West and Tehran over Iran's controversial nuclear program, 61 percent of Iranians said they supported this role.