The Unbearable Heaviness of Being a Turkish Citizen

German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 21, 2014

Emre Erdogan *

Despite their diversity, Turks have a common characteristic: thinking that Turkey has no friends and that every other country in the world is a potential enemy. The Turkish political culture and education system have reproduced this anxiety over generations. While changing the political culture in a society is not an easy task, reformulating the education system in a way that fosters critical thinking and generalized trust, including of foreigners, could be a good starting point.

* Emre Erdoğan, Ph.D., is an expert in public opinion and foreign policy. He is one of the founders of Infakto RW, an Istanbul-based independent research institute, and a professor of political methodology in Istanbul Bilgi University and Boğaziçi University.

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