Turkey's support for EU membership drops to 47.2%

New data shows that Turks have grown less enthusiastic over the past six years over prospects to become the first-ever Muslim member of the European Union. According to a collection of surveys by Turkey's statistics authority, support for the EU among young Turks plunged to 47.2 % in 2011 from 74 % in 2005. Among adults, support as well dropped from 63 % to 44.3%. Opposition to EU membership among young Turks almost doubled from 16.8 % to 30.8%, and 27.6% 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 % to 22.1%. Turkey applied 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 the Republic of Cyprus. (ANSAmed).