Turkish Public Opinion Towards EU Membership

The European Union is a crucial foreign policy subject in terms of Turkish Foreign Policy. The mutual ties go back to 1963 with Ankara Agreement, also known as the Common Market Agreement. In this thesis, Turkish public opinion regarding EU membership in the period 1963-1999 will be explained. In the first chapter, research conducted on Turkish public opinion regarding Ankara Agreement that is the starting point for mutual ties between the European Economic Community and Türkiye in the field of economy. In the second chapter, an investigation has been completed on Turkish public opinion determined by application for full membership to the European Economic Community subsequent to Ankara Agreement. In the last chapter, an analysis has been completed on Turkish public opinion after Helsinki Summit that is a milestone for bilateral relations. At the end of each chapter, Turkish local newspapers namely: Cumhuriyet Daily, Hürriyet Daily and Milliyet Daily have been used. These different local newspapers provided a comprehensive perspective to comprehend Turkish public opinion since all of them has different ideologies.