Politicization of Foreign Policy: Turkish Public Opinion on the “Davos Crisis” and its Effects

Abstract

Foreign policy issues are too complicated for ordinary citizens for interpreting and transferring to policy preferences. Meanwhile, public opinion surveys show that individuals state their attitudes about these complicated issues; opening avenues for interpreting these findings as the existence of a public opinion about foreign policy. However, there is evidence that shows that these attitudes are formed almost randomly. Our research, based on the results of a survey research conducted in the aftermath of the “One Minute” incident at Davos, aims to explain foreign policy attitudes of individuals with party affiliations. If such a partisan bias exist; then it is possible to argue that international politics has been domesticated in the Turkish context.

Keywords

Public Opinion, Foreign Policy Attitudes, Davos Crisis, Politicization, Turkey-Israeli Relations

Citation

Erdoğan, Emre, “Politicization of Foreign Policy: Turkish Public Opinion on the “Davos Crisis” and its Effects”, International Relations, Volume 10, Issue 37 (Spring 2013), pp. 37-67.

Affiliations

• Emre ERDOĞAN, Dr., INFAKTO RW