The United States and Israel top the list of countries that Turks see as a threat, according to an opinion poll seen by AFP Wednesday. The survey, conducted by the Ankara-based Metropoll research company last month, found that 42.6 percent saw the United States as "the greatest external threat," with another 23.7 percent singling out Israel.
Turkey's eastern neighbour Iran ranked third, listed by three percent of the respondants, while another neighbour and traditional rival Greece come fourth with 2.3 percent. In response to another question, 63.6 percent said relations with Israel should be frozen, as opposed to 27.9 percent who said ties should be improved.
The figures mirrored a deep crisis between one-time allies Turkey and Israeli since May 31 when Israeli forces killed nine Turks as they raided an activist ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. Concern over the United States, a Nato ally, appeared to reflect enduring misgivings about Washington's policies in the region, notably since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which had sparked fears over the possible emergence of an independent Kurdistan that would claim Turkish territory in the south-east.