The recent survey conducted by the Association of European Union Network (AIAD) has revealed that the Turkish public is in favor of European Union (EU) membership primarily due to free movement rather than economic reasons.

According to the findings of the AIAD, the priority reason for 81 percent of Turkish citizens to want EU membership is due to free movement, while 74 percent of the participants said that Turkey could benefit from EU membership in terms of democracy and human rights.

In addition to the findings on a demand to join the EU for "free movement" without visas, the survey found that the other highly important issues for the citizens are related to educational, cultural and occupational reasons.

Though the Western perception of Turkey's efforts on the path to EU accession is determined mainly by economic reasons, the survey revealed that the increase of economic prosperity is a subordinate motivation, ranked sixth among the others.

The survey was conducted with 3,385 participants, many of whom have a university degree and knowledge about the EU membership process, and indicated that the majority of the people did not perceive the EU as a reliable ally to Turkey. In response to the question, "Do you think that the EU is reliable or not?" 74.4 percent of the participants answered "no."