Survey: Nearly 40 percent of German and French citizens oppose Turkiye's EU accession

Nearly 40 percent of people in Germany and France oppose Turkiye’s accession to the European Union, according to a Public First survey conducted for Politico. In France, 41 percent of respondents said Turkiye should never become a member of the European Union. Furthermore, only 9 percent believed Ankara should be granted immediate membership. Another 11 percent said Turkiye should join but not within the next decade, 27 percent declined to answer, and 12 percent said Turkiye should join within the next 10 years. The survey was conducted from 14 to 17 June among 2,000 respondents, with a margin of error of two percentage points. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that EU membership remains a strategic priority for Ankara, and that advancing the negotiation process is important for both Turkiye and the bloc. Turkiye signed an association agreement with the European Union in 1963, and a Customs Union came into effect in 1996 as an effort to advance Turkiye’s full membership in the European Union.