Turkey has dramatically expanded its influence in recent years throughout the Mediterranean and beyond, operating as an interlocutor and partner to Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. Understanding Turkey’s role in the region is critical to E.U. and U.S. foreign policy, particularly in the wake of the transformations reshaping the Arab world. “The Perception of Turkey in the Middle East 2012” is a regional public opinion survey conducted in late 2012 in 16 countries across the Middle East and North Africa which illustrates the importance of economic worries which get little attention, details Turkey’s enduring popularity in the Arab world, and confirms persistent anti-American sentiment in much of the region.
The survey is the fourth annual poll of regional public opinion conducted by the TESEV Institute and sheds light on perceptions of the transitions occurring in Syria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and Iran; the role of Turkey; the role of international actors in the events of 2012; perspectives on security; and perceptions of the Turkish democratic model.
Please join the Center for American Progress, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and the TESEV Institute as we host a presentation and discussion of the latest installment of “The Perception of Turkey in the Middle East 2012.”
Introductory Remarks:
Michael Meier, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Director, Istanbul office
Presentation of findings:
Sabiha Senyücel Gündoğar, Director, TESEV Foreign Policy Program
Mensur Akgün, Director, Global Political Trends Center
Discussion of findings:
Yavuz Baydar, Columnist, Daily Zaman
Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Moderator:
Michael Werz, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress