A COMPARISON OF THE 2006 AND 2010 MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SURVEY RESULTS: A FURTHER POLARIZATION ON THE QUESTION OF TURKEY IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT?

This paper analyzes data drawn from the 2006 and 2010 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) surveys to compare how the attitudes of MEPs toward Turkey have changed. Through cross-tabulations, the paper presents some preliminary evidence that the Right in the current European Parliament (EP) is less friendly towards Turkey than was the Right in the previous EP, while the Left is friendlier towards Turkey than before. Although it needs further evidence to support this claim, one may suggest that the gap between the Right and the Left on the question of Turkish accession might be widening. Since no single group has the majority in the EP, the polarization on the question of Turkey may complicate consensus-building on Turkey, which is often necessary to vote down anti-Turkey proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]