Study: Most Turks don’t want Jewish neighbors
Istanbul university study suggests Turks have low tolerance for diverse lifestyles; 52% would not want Christian neighbors
A study suggests Turks have low tolerance for diverse lifestyles as three in four respondents said they would not want to live next to an atheist or anyone drinking alcohol.
The study by Istanbul's Bahcesehir University is meant to gauge radicalism and extremism in Turkey.
Results published in Sunday's Milliyet newspaper indicate 64% of Turks would not want Jewish neighbors, 52% would not Christian neighbors, 67% would not want to live next to an unmarried couple and 43% would not want American neighbors.
The survey is based on interviews with 1,715 people selected randomly from 34 cities between April 12 and May 3. No margin of error was given.
On Wednesday a Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced a man to five months in prison for "insulting a section of society" after he put up a banner saying Jews and Armenians were not allowed to enter his business.
Niyazi Capa, who heads a cultural association in the city of Eskisehir, west of Ankara, put up the banner to protest against Israel's offensive in Gaza earlier this year, which drew widespread condemnation in predominantly Muslim Turkey.
