EU survey: Turks have negative view of future, government

Güven Özalp BRUSSELS

DAILY NEWS Photo

Turkish citizens’ expectations from the coming year are negative, according to a new Eurobarometer survey, which also revealed that 48 percent of Turks “distrust” the government and more than two-thirds “distrust” the European Union.

The survey, titled “Public Opinion in The European Union – November 2014” conducted by the European Commission’s Eurobarometer branch, painted a deteriorating picture of Turks’ trust in various state institutions.

The study revealed that 48 percent of people living in Turkey do not trust the government, a rise of 4 percent since the previous survey. Some 46 percent of respondents said they trusted the government, a drop of 6 percent.

The number of Turks who believe that the situation in the country is going to worsen in the coming year has risen by 18 points from last year, to 63 percent.

On the other hand, the number of Turkish citizens who believe that the coming year will be better in comparison to the current situation has fallen by 5 points, to 25 percent.

The number people who said they “distrust” the EU in Turkey has increased by 9 points to 66 percent, while those who “trust” the union decreased by 7 points, to 18 percent.

Some 36 percent of respondents said they believe that the economic situation in Turkey will worsen, and 29 percent foresee a worsening of their own financial status. Some 40 percent of respondents say employment will deteriorate, while those who believe they will face a negative situation in their professional lives increased to 26 percent, a 7-point increase from the last survey.

The army remains the institution that is trusted the most by Turkish citizens at 62 percent, although it witnessed an 8 percent decrease. Trust in the police force stands at 53 percent, a 7 percent decrease.

In the lack of confidence list, Turkish political parties top the list at 71 percent, a 6-point increase, followed by the judicial system at 49 percent and the government at 48 percent.

The European Commission has been monitoring the evolution of public opinion in member states since 1973, thus helping the preparation of texts, decision-making and the evaluation of its work through Eurobarometer.