Talking Turkey

If you want to see how real the danger of the West losing Turkey is, examine these poll numbers. The United States’s favourability rating is down to 9%- from 52% in 2000. The European Union’s favourability rating has fallen from 54% in 2004 to 27% today. Turks are now more hostile towards Westerners than either Egyptians or Pakistanis.

In some ways, these numbers aren’t surprising: both the United States and the EU have shown little consideration of the Turks in recent years. But they should worry us. If Turkey becomes permanently alienated from the West, dealing with the problems of the Middle East will become even more difficult. 

Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan