Focusing on differences? Contextual conditions and anti-immigrant attitudes' effects on support for Turkey's EU membership

A key predictor of support for Turkey’s EU membership is citizens’ attitudes toward immigrants. How anti-immigrant attitudes relate to support is not obvious and has remained unclear thus far. We argue that the presence of immigrants in a country reduces support for Turkey’s membership. Second, the stronger this presence, the stronger the effect of anti-immigrant attitudes on support. Third, the more salient immigration issues in a country, the stronger the effect of anti-immigrant attitudes on support. Using cross sectional survey data (N = 26,344) from 20 EU member states, we find support for these claims. Our findings provide a prime example of how politicians and media can influence citizens’ thinking about specific issues, and, in doing so, can influence public opinion.