Date posted: May 2, 2012

DR. DOĞU ERGİL, April 24, 2012

The MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center conducted a nationwide survey during the last week of March and the first week of April. The topics polled included the clash between the Gülen community and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT). The number of respondents who believe the Gülen community wants to wield power and share it with the AKP was 38 percent. Those who think the Gülen community has no such aim or drive was 44.5 percent.

The MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center conducted a nationwide survey during the last week of March and the first week of April. There were interesting findings worth considering.

The topics polled included the clash between the Gülen community (aka Hizmet movement) and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the debate on the unexpected to the structure of education that is believed by some to be a move by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to reopen imam-hatip Schools (religious vocational high schools) that had been closed due to the pressure of the military. Another recent matter of public debate is the issue that prosecutors had wanted to question the head and top officials of MİT on the grounds of inappropriate actions taken during covert operations. This initiative was aborted and led to the creation of a new law that tied the prosecution of MİT agents to the executive permission of the prime minister.

All of these events had a mixed impact on public opinion.

When asked whether prosecutors should be able to interrogate the MİT undersecretary when necessary, 56 percent of respondents found this reasonable and 31 percent were opposed.

Only 27 percent of respondents felt that the head of MİT should be immune from direct questioning by prosecutors and judges; 61 percent thought otherwise.

These findings indicate that the overwhelming majority of the people do not want any government official to be above the law or have special protection granted by the executive order when they commit a wrong.

When asked whether the crisis between MİT and the judiciary has negatively affected the government or not, 15 percent of respondents felt that the crisis has strengthened the government and 17 percent believed it has weakened the government. However, 57 percent indicated the crisis did not change anything about the standing of the government.

With regards to the alleged clash of power and interests between the Gülen community and the AKP, only 32 percent of respondents expressed a belief that there was such friction. Fifty-six percent said there was no such thing.

The number of respondents who believe the Gülen community wants to wield power and share it with the AKP was 38 percent. Those who think the Gülen community has no such aim or drive was 44.5 percent.

These figure indicate that the ruling party has suffered a small but indicative loss of popularity, most probably because of the combined effects of the bombing of 35 Kurdish citizens at Uludere and its inability to come up with a plausible explanation, the damaging debate regarding friction between the AKP and the Gülen community as well as between the judiciary and intelligence service and, finally, the 4+4+4 educational system, which begs for serious questions to be answered.

Source: Today’s Zaman http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-278467-turkish-trends.html

Note: Follow the above link to read full article.

Tags: Hizmet and politics | Turkey |