ANKARA
Turks have grown less enthusiastic in the past six years over prospects to become the first-ever Muslim member of the European Union, data showed.
According to a collection of surveys by Turkey's statistics authority, support for the EU among young Turks plunged to 47.2 percent in 2011 from 74 percent in 2005. Among adults, support as well dropped from 63 percent to 44.3 percent.
Opposition to EU membership among young Turks almost doubled from 16.8 percent to 30.8 percent, and 27.6 percent of the adults said they would have voted against the accession if a referendum was held today.
Young Turks who said they had "no idea" about the issue was up from 9.2 percent to 22.1 percent.
Turkey applies for associate membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1959. Turkey is a candidate country for EU membership following the Helsinki European Council of December 1999. Accession negotiations started in October 2005.
So far, only one chapter (science and research) has been provisionally closed. Twelve more have been opened, but eight remain blocked by France, Austria, Germany, and Greek Cypriot Administration.
