An overwhelming majority of Turks have voiced objections to sharing their personal and private information with the state, a survey recently carried out by the Ankara-based MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center has revealed, according to Today's Zaman.
When asked whether they would like the state to know their personal, private information, 81.4 percent of the survey’s respondents replied in the negative, while only 14.8 percent said they would like to share their personal information with the state and 3.8 percent said they did not know.
To a related question on whether they believe the state protects or will protect the personal information of its citizens, 53 percent said they do not while 32.8 percent said they do. The remaining 14.3 percent said they did not know.
Supporters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) had the most trust in the state’s protection of their personal information with 50.3 percent, followed by the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) supporters with 26.8 percent, then Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supporters with 18 percent and finally Republican People’s Party (CHP) supporters with 9.1 percent.
Claims raised this summer that Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has been collecting personal data illegally with the cooperation of public institutions, a profiling operation that has justly been likened to “big brother,” have raised concerns that Turkey may be heading towards an authoritarian system in which people’s personal information is gathered illegally and held without their consent.
MetroPOLL’s survey, titled “Türkiye’nin Nabzı” (Turkey’s Pulse), was carried out in 31 provinces from Oct 8-21. A total of 1,200 people from various political parties and backgrounds were interviewed as part of the survey. Among other things, one of the main topics of the survey was the content of a democratization package announced by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sept 30 that aimed to broaden freedoms for various social groups in Turkey.
One of the landmark reforms in the package, partial freedom for the wearing of headscarves by women working in public institutions, received wide support from those surveyed, with 76.1 percent approving the move while 19.9 percent objected.
The package removes restrictions on the wearing of Islamic headscarves in most public-sector workplaces. The ban, however, will remain in effect for judges, prosecutors and military personnel.
MetroPOLL also asked respondents whether people are subjected to discrimination in Turkey based on their religion, sect or ethnicity. Nearly half of the respondents, 49.8 percent, said “Yes,” while 47 percent said “No.”
