Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi

Yazarlar: Ebru Ş. CANAN-SOKULLU

Konular:-

Anahtar Kelimeler:NATO,Turkish Public Opinion,Threat Perception,Global Leadership,Binary Logistic Regression

Özet: This article examines Turkish public opinion on NATO and the bases of gradually increasing anti-NATO stances over the past decade. Turkish public opinion, compared to public opinion in other NATO member states, has become considerably critical of NATO in the aftermath of the Afghanistan War (2001) and by 2010 Turkey had the highest level of NATO-opposition. This shows us a re-orientation in the minds of Turks due to certain factors. This article explains why Turks edge away from NATO with specific reference to perceived threats at the international and personal level, and to the preferences over the American and European leadership in world affairs. Considering public opinion an “essential domino” of foreign policy in democracies, this article offers insights into a “Turkish dilemma” because Turkey – a devoted and staunch NATO ally for the past six decades – seems to turn into an ally where citizens do view NATO as no longer essential, contrary to the Turkish policy-makers who consider NATO essential for the security of Euro-Atlantic zone, of which Turkey is an indispensable part. At a time when there are several problematic issues such as by whom and how NATO should be authorized, the liabilities of the member states and beyond everything on what grounds should NATO intervene militarily, citizen support for NATO is critically important. Using Transatlantic Trends Survey data (2004–2010) through binary logistic regression analysis this article maps out this Turkish dilemma concerning NATO

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