"Changing Turkish Public Attitudes toward the United States: Premises and Prospects
By Soner Cagaptay
March 7, 2005
American and Turkish media have been awash recently with news of increased Turkish resentment toward the United States. Media coverage has focused on negative portrayals of U.S. foreign policy in Turkey, including recent opinion polls such as a January 19 BBC survey, according to which 82 percent of Turks oppose the Bush administration. It may indeed be the case that Turks have become more critical of U.S. foreign policy. Moreover, such sentiments, previously limited to a fringe Islamist constituency, now seem pervasive across the political landscape, uniting Islamists, nationalists, and even secular liberals (see Soner Cagaptay, �Where Goes the U.S.-Turkish Relationship,� Middle East Quarterly, fall 2004). How concerned should Washington be? What can the Bush administration and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government in Turkey do to address this issue? "
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