More Than Half of Turkey's Population Opposes Non-Muslim Religious Meetings

More than half of the population of Muslim-majority Turkey opposes members of other religions from holding meetings or publishing materials to explain their faith, according to a recent survey.

Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed said non-Muslims either "should not" or "absolutely should not" be allowed to hold open meetings where they can discuss their ideas. Fifty-four percent said non-Muslims either "should not" or "absolutely should not" be allowed to publish literature that describes their faith.

The survey also found that almost 40 percent of the population of Turkey said they had "very negative" or "negative" views of Christians. Over 60 percent of those polled said there is one true religion. More than 90 percent of the population of Turkey is Muslim.

Ali Carkoglu, one of the two professors at Sabanci University who conducted the study, said no non-Muslim religious gathering in Turkey is "risk free."

The report -- issued in November, 2009 -- was part of a study commissioned by the International Social Survey Program, a 45-nation academic group that conducts polls and research about social and political issues.