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A new survey conducted by KONDA Research’s July 2025 Barometer study revealed that the majority of Türkiye’s population wants the country to resemble Western nations in terms of lifestyle, with only a small fraction expressing a preference for Muslim countries.
According to the survey, 68% of respondents said Türkiye should be more like Western countries, including European Union (EU) members and the United States.
The question asked was, “Which country would you like Türkiye to resemble in terms of lifestyle?”
The results showed that 54% of respondents favor EU countries, while 14% prefer the United States. Only 6% said they want Türkiye to resemble Muslim countries, and 18% cited other countries.
Another 8% said there was no country they did not want Türkiye to resemble.
KONDA General Manager Aydin Erdem, speaking to pro-opposition Halk TV, said the survey has been conducted regularly over the past decade, with participants free to name any country.
Erdem noted that the proportion of respondents wanting Türkiye to resemble Muslim countries has remained around 6% for 10 years.
“The most striking thing is that very few people in this country want to resemble a Muslim country,” he said.
“Among those mentioned, names like Singapore and Indonesia slightly increase the percentage, but very few people want to resemble Middle Eastern countries. This pattern has appeared in all of KONDA’s research over the past 15 years.”
Erdem said the general direction of Turkish society points toward democratic and prosperous Western nations. “Türkiye has a vector, a goal,” he said.
“That goal is far from authoritarianism and closer to tolerance. It’s where social capital and education are higher. Our target is Norway—not South Korea or China.”
“When you gather all these perspectives and look at the average mindset of society, it points toward Norway, Sweden, Scandinavia, and France,” he added.
Erdem noted that in 2016, one in four respondents said Türkiye should not resemble any country, but that share has now dropped below 10%.
“Ten years ago, we were a bit more self-confident,” he said.
“One in four used to say, ‘I don’t want Türkiye to resemble any country; I’m content with my own.’ But that figure has now fallen to around 10%.”
He linked this change to greater exposure to the world through technology: “Thanks to social media, we can now see every corner of the world. As you see more, your desire to emulate increases.”
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