Turks Less Interested in Joining EU as Economy, Political Influence Grow - by James G. Neuger

Turkish eagerness to join the European Union is plummeting as the economy outgrows Europe’s and the country emerges as a regional power-broker, a survey showed.

Only 38 percent of Turks regard future EU membership as a “good thing,” down from 48 percent last year and 73 percent in 2004, according to a poll released today by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Italian foundation Compagnia di San Paolo.

A 150 percent increase in gross domestic product per capita since 2003 has lessened Turkey’s need for European links and emboldened it to pursue a more independent foreign policy.

For more: Turks Less Interested in Joining EU as Economy, Political Influence Grow - Bloomberg