In 2004, when the EU opened membership talks with Ankara, 58% of Turks had a favourable view of the Union. Five years later, this figure had plummeted to 22% - the biggest and most sudden drop in positive ratings recorded by the Pew Global Attitudes Project.

Pull-out figure: 58% to 22% Camembert

“The EU is not seen as a trustworthy partner,” says Bahadir Kaleagasi, International Coordinator of Turkish business lobby TUSIAD adding: “Turks feel cheated by the EU.” Says Dr. Hakan Yilmaz, a politics professor at Istanbul’s Bogazici University: “There is a strong perception here that no matter what we do membership is not going to happen anytime soon.”

Why the deception with the EU? Experts we interviewed felt:
-Betrayed over predominantly Turkish northern Cyprus - which voted for reunification of the island in 2004 but was not allowed to join the EU.
-Deceived by the way Brussels has let Balkan states leapfrog Turkey in EU membership talks.
-Angry at opposition to Turkey’s EU entry from the leaders of France and Germany – although the decision to open membership talks with Turkey was taken unanimously.


Zeynep Gogus, journalist and Founder/President of TR Plus
Pull-out quote: “The EU is like a big brother who does not deserve that title.”