An international survey by the Pew Research Center on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding indicates Turks have a favorable view of the military alliance.
Although unfavorable views of the bloc were higher than favorable opinions (at 46%), 42% of people interviewed for the survey favored it, a considerable rise from 18% support in the first edition of the survey in 2011.
The survey of people in 13 of the nations belonging to NATO found a median of about 6 in 10 held a favorable view of the alliance, the Pew Research Center said Tuesday.
The poll was released ahead of a July 9-11 summit in Washington, which is being held at a challenging time for the bloc. The 32 NATO member countries are adjusting their long-term plans and strategies to counteract a more aggressive Russian President Vladimir Putin and respond to Ukraine's need for sustained support against invading Russian forces. Meanwhile, the presidential reelection bid of Donald Trump, who long has spoken scathingly of NATO allies and admiringly of Putin, has some NATO members worrying about the future commitment of the alliance's most powerful military and economy.
Support for NATO among the 13 nations surveyed peaked at 91% in Poland followed by 75% in the Netherlands and 72% in Sweden. Poland and Sweden are neighbors of Russia, Sweden through a maritime border and Poland with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, and Sweden is one of the alliance's newest members, formally joining this year in the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Türkiye stalled Sweden’s accession for months unless it cooperated more in fighting terrorism and blamed the Nordic country for tolerating the presence of supporters of the terrorist groups PKK and Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
Just 37% of adults in Greece said they supported NATO, the lowest percentage of the countries surveyed, while 59% of adults there said they hold an unfavorable view of the alliance. Greece shares religious and cultural ties with Russia and is a neighbor of Türkiye with which it long harbored hostilities over disputed territorial waters.
The survey found 63% of people in Canada viewed NATO favorably, as well as 66% in Britain, 64% in Germany, 63% in Hungary, 60% in Italy, 54% in France and 45% in Spain.
The figure for Türkiye represented a near-doubling of support for NATO since the question was asked in 2019. Pew earlier released results for the U.S., which show 58% support for NATO. The survey was conducted from early January to mid-May.
Türkiye joined NATO in 1952, three years after the establishment of the alliance. Initially rejected by other members, the country, which sought protection against the Soviet Union, was finally accepted after it pledged to send troops to support the United States in the Korean War. It hosts several military bases for the alliance and commands the second-largest army in NATO. Its relations with other NATO members, however, have not always been smooth. For instance, it is at odds with the United States for the latter’s support for the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, which it also recognizes as a terrorist group. Yet, it values the alliance in the era of growing conflicts.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to attend a NATO summit on the occasion of the anniversary in the United States next week. Türkiye was also among the backers of former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the successor of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.