Iran's image in Turkey: The perceptions of the Turkish elites and the general public towards Iran

Iran and Turkey are two key actors in the Middle East and their relation has a crucial role in determining the future of the region. Although Turkey and Iran have been increasingly at odds on a number of issues in the Middle East, recently they have started to look for ways to cooperate. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the Turkish general public's and the elite's perception towards Iran and Iranians. The research questions are: How the Turkish general public and the elite perceive Iran and Iranian people, how their perceptions differ and what determines the perception of Iran in Turkey. This study utilizes a mixed method approach - both quantitative and qualitative methods - using the Ordered Logistic Regression Models and interview data. All the data have been gathered through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The results suggest that both Turkish elites and the general public have a generally unfavorable view toward Iran and Iranians, with the general public being slightly more positive than elites.