54 pct of Turks support nukes if Iran has them

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Iran's alleged nuclear facilities.

More than half of Turks support the option of Turkey’s obtaining nuclear arms in case of a possible threat from a nuclear-missile armed Iran, while 35 percent believe that Turkey should not develop nuclear weapons, a recent public opinion survey revealed.

The survey, carried out by the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM), asked “In reaction to a possible threat from a nuclear-armed Iran, should Turkey develop its own nuclear weapons or rely on NATO’s protection?” According to the survey’s results, 54 percent of participants supported the option of Turkey’s nuclear armament, while 8.2 percent believe that NATO’s security umbrella is sufficient, and therefore Turkey shouldn’t develop nuclear weapons. Thirty-four percent of the participants believe that Turkey shouldn’t develop nuclear weapons under any conditions.