Turks optimistic of improved U.S. ties with Obama presidency: poll

The percentage of Turkish people, who believe Obama will strengthen the United States’ relations abroad, has risen to 51 percent from 11 percent in the last six months, according to a poll conducted for BBC World Service.  Â

An average of 67 percent of people globally are hopeful that the U.S. president-elect will improve ties with the rest of the world, with more than 50 percent optimistic for this in all but Japan and Russia of the 17 countries polled.

 

The overall result was sharply up from a BBC-commissioned poll six months ago, when only 47 percent thought Obama would improve U.S. overseas ties.

 

But having such high expectations overseas presents Obama with a tough challenge, warned one of the pollsters who carried out the poll.

 

Once in office the global financial crisis should be Obama’s top priority, followed by pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq, tackling climate change, and brokering peace in the Middle East, the survey said.

 

Among Islamic countries Indonesia -- where Obama spent part of his childhood -- had the highest majority of those seeing bolstered ties with the United States, on 64 percent.

 

In Egypt 58 percent forecast better ties, twice as many as six months ago.

 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Africans are among the most hopeful for Obama, the first African-American to be elected to the White House, while Europeans -- angered by George Bush and the 2003 Iraq war -- are not far behind.

 

Ghanaians are most positive, on 87 percent, followed by Italy (79 percent), Germany and Spain (78 percent each), and France (76 percent), followed by Mexico and Nigeria (74 percent each).

 

Japan and Russia are the only two countries where less than 50 percent of people think U.S. ties with their countries will improve, on 48 percent and 47 percent respectively.

 

Asked what Obama’s top priority should be once in the Oval Office, 72 percent said dealing with the financial crisis, followed by 50 percent for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.

 

Third (46 percent) came addressing climate change -- where Bush has been seen as holding back global action; then came 43 percent for brokering Mideast peace and 29 percent backing the Afghan government against the Taliban.

 

The survey was mostly conducted before the start of the three-week conflict in the Gaza Strip.

 

It was based on questioning of 17,356 adults between Nov. 24 to Jan. 5 in Britain, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the United States.

 

In the United States itself, 60 percent of those asked said improving their country’s relations with the rest of the world should be a top priority, much higher than the overall average of 46 percent.

 

A greater proportion of Americans than anywhere else think backing the Afghan government should be a top priority, with 46 percent saying Obama must focus on fighting the Taliban, more than seven years after 9/11.