While 61% of Turkish citizens considered terror as 'the biggest problem facing them' in 2016, the concerns of the citizenry appear to have changed in 2017. Turks that see terror as the main problem decreased by 50 percent, and worries about economy and education have significantly increased, according to a survey conducted by the IPSOS Social Research Institute.
The results of the research indicate that Turks still consider terrorism as the most significant problem of the country.
Yet, the percentage of citizens who consider terrorism as the biggest problem dropped from 61 percent from December 2016 to 35 percent in December 2017. Those who consider the Kurdish question as the most significant problem in Turkey is at the lowest rate it has been in the last three years at 2 percent.
While people in Turkey who consider education as the biggest problem was 5 percent in 2015 and 2016, this rate increased massively to 12 percent at the end of 2017 due to changes in the curriculum and the university entrance exam. Dissatisfaction and confusion about this issue explicitly showed itself when respondents were asked directly about changes in the examination system.
According to the survey, more than 60 percent of citizens do not approve the changes in the high school and university entrance exams in Turkey.
Those who think that the economy has become the biggest problem are also on the rise. Citizens that consider the economy as the biggest problem is 23 percent, an increase of eight points in this last year. This rate is at its highest of the last three years. Despite this uncertainty regarding the economy, there is an increase in investments and in the purchasing tendency in the society of Turkey compared to 2016.
On the other hand, the research indicates that only 27 percent of citizens believe that the situation in Turkey will be better in the near future.
