Public Opinion and Turkey's Contemporary Foreign Policy

Turkey’s foreign policy has changed significantly in the last decade. Once a staunch NATO ally and pro-American force in the predominantly Muslim Middle East, Turkey has pursued a rather independent and contentious foreign policy that has put the country in conflict with virtually every major actor in the region, the US and the EU. Many arguments have been made to account for this sharp turn in Turkey’s foreign policy, citing both internal and external factors. This book aims to explain whether or not this shift in Turkish foreign policy has its roots in the attitudes and policy preferences of the Turkish public. By analyzing original data from three nation-wide surveys conducted by the authors in 2017, 2018 and 2019, this book answers key questions regarding the public opinion vis-a-vis multilateralism, unilateralism, use of force, Turkey’s foreign policy roles, Islam and nationalism, foreign policy activism vs. isolationism, attitudes towards the US, the EU, Russia and other world powers and neighbors. Targeting such theoretical questions in this breadth, is a novelty for the Turkish foreign policy analysis literature. The book will also make inferences on broader public opinion debates and attitudes vis-à-vis topical issues: Are the Turkish public’s preferences reflected in the government’s foreign policy or is public opinion shaped by the elite’s preferences? Which domestic actors are satisfied, which are not with the new foreign policy? Or, does public opinion favor Turkey’s involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts? What is the level of anti-Americanism and anti-EU sentiments in Turkey, and on what factors do they depend?