This House believes Turkey is a bad model for the new Arab states
Thursday January 12 2012
Bogazici University, Istanbul
MOTION PASSED
by 59% to 41%
Opinion poll
A majority of people in the Arab world believe the post-revolutionary states in the region should model their political systems on Turkey's, according to the latest opinion poll commissioned by The Doha Debates.
Seventy-two percent of respondents believe Turkey is a good model for the new Arab states, which include Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. The area with the highest number of people opposed to Turkey as a model was in the Levant (35%).
The poll findings contradict the results of the latest Doha Debate held in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 12th in which 59 percent of the audience said Turkey was a bad model for the new Arab states.
The main reasons those surveyed gave for supporting the Turkish model were because Turkey is ‘close to the Arab world in regards to culture, religion and traditions', Turkey has become a well-respected country and the Turkish model has integrated Islam into politics which ‘fits into the needs of the Arab world'.
However, despite a high level of support for the Turkish model, a significant number of those polled were also sceptical of the motives of Islamists. 45 percent expressed concerns that Islamists will adopt the Turkish model so they can introduce their beliefs into government under the banner of religion.
The poll, conducted by the polling company YouGov between the 29th of January and the 2nd of February 2012, questioned 1001 people.
Polling dates: 29 Jan - 2 Feb 2012
Download the polling data [PDF]
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