Poll: 71 percent of voters support government pledge to fight Gülenists

A survey conducted by the Ankara-based Objective Research Center (ORC) showed that 71 percent of those contacted support the government's efforts to eliminate the Gülen Movement, 20.6 percent did not support it and 8.4 percent of those surveyed refrained from answering. The Gülen Movement allegedly infiltrated key state bodies with the intent to overthrow the government

The Gülen Movement is seen as a national threat by the government as the movement is accused of wiretapping thousands of people, including government officials and encrypted phones and allegedly infiltrating state institutions with the aim of overthrowing the government. The movement, led by Fethullah Gülen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S., is described as "a state within the state" by the government and most of its critics assert that infiltration by the movement goes back decades.

At one time they were the closest of allies, but the Gülen Movement and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) parted ways for good in 2014. According to officials, 2014 was one of the most "stabbed-in-the-back" years in recent Turkish history when the movement's alleged illegal wiretapping and infiltration activities came to light. The seeds of this separation were sown with the February 7, 2012 operation allegedly carried out by the movement on National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Chief Hakan Fidan for holding talks with the PKK in Oslo to end the decades-long conflict with the PKK as part of the Kurdish reconciliation process.

The government's decision to close prep schools, most of which are run by the Gülen Movement, completed the separation and an arrest warrant was issued for Gülen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S. Pledging to eliminate every single alleged infiltrator from the state, Turkish officials said that they would never stop fighting the Gülen Movement through legal avenues. An arrest warrant was issued for Gülen in December and according to government sources, Turkey will ask the U.S. to extradite him if the necessary Red Notice is issued by Interpol.

Touching on Turkey's long-continued Kurdish issue that officials pledged to successfully end through the reconciliation process between Ankara and Kurds, the survey asked people whether they support the process. According to the poll, which was conducted in 32 provinces with the participation of 1,720 people between January 15 and January 19, 63.4 percent supported the process, 30.8 percent did not back the AK Party-initiated process and 5.8 percent did not give an answer.

Launched in 2009 by the government, the reconciliation process aims to normalize life in eastern Turkey and has lowered the casualty numbers of PKK and Turkish soldiers to record lows. The PKK announced a cease-fire on March 21, 2013 through their imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, which has accelerated negotiations, thereby mostly putting an end to the violence that has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people over three decades.

When the survey asked respondents whether they have sympathy for the presidential system that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wants, 56 percent said that they would support it if a referendum were held to switch a presidential system from the current parliamentary one, 32.3 percent said they would not support a change in the government structure and 11.7 percent refrained from answering.

Over the weekend, in a closed door meeting Erdoğan said that the consultation and advisory mechanism between the Prime Ministry and the Presidency has not been functioning completely and added: "To create harmony, there is a need for a presidential system."

When Erdoğan took the presidency on August 10 in the country's first direct presidential election, he specifically highlighted that he intended to change the government structure that gives the president a ceremonial duty and pledged to be a more "active" president during his tenure. In previous election terms, the AK Party reiterated that it aims to achieve a parliamentary majority to be able to adopt a presidential system without opposition.

According to the poll, 65 percent of those surveyed do not care about Turkey's accession to the EU, 21.5 percent said they consider EU accession important and 13.5 percent did not answer.

Turkey has been sitting at the negotiation table with the EU longer than any other candidate. The country handed its application to Brussels in 1987 and accession talks began in 2005. However, negotiations hit a stalemate in 2007 due to Ankara's position on the Cyprus issue, in which Turkey refuses to recognize Greek Cyprus, which is an EU member country and has strongly opposed Turkey's EU membership along with France and Germany.

To be able to qualify as a new EU member country, Ankara has to successfully finalize negotiations with the EU in 25 policy chapters that are required to meet EU standards. So far, only 14 chapters have been opened, 17 remain blocked and another four are yet to be discussed. Only one chapter has been opened in the last three years.

When asked for which party they would vote if there was a national election today, 48.6 percent said that they would vote for the AK Party, 23.3 percent would vote for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), 13.5 percent would vote for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and 8.2 would vote for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).