An image problem

摘要

Marc Grossman, a former American ambassador to Turkey, would frequently complain that Turkey lacked "the PR gene". Prickly, proud and fiercely nationalistic, the Turks are decidedly bad at the art of public relations. A popular adage has it that "the Turk has no other friend than the Turk." Yet this will have to change if TUrkey is ever to join the European Union. Despite a blizzard of reforms that helped Turkey win its prized start of eu membership talks in October, opposition is on the rise. France and Austria have pledged to hold referendums on Turkey's accession. Polls suggest that, right now, both would be lost by wide margins.