Who is Afraid of Globalization? Turkish Attitudes toward Trade and Globalization

The Turkish economy has gradually liberalized and has become integrated into the regional and global economies since the 1980s. This article analyzes how the Turkish public evaluates the integration of the Turkish economy into the global economy, in particular, increasing trade ties, globalization, greater availability of foreign products and travel opportunities, the impact of multinational companies and international financial institutions. The evidence from Pew Global Attitudes Surveys shows that the Turkish public is overwhelmingly positive about certain changes such as increasing trade and availability of foreign products, whereas they are overwhelmingly negative about others such as the impact of multinationals and of immigration. Regression analyses demonstrate that these attitudes are shaped by individuals' perceptions of whether they have benefited from the liberalization of the economy.