A new NATO-wide poll finds Turkey leads all 32 member states in citizens' willingness to fight for their country, with 8...

A new NATO-wide poll finds Turkey leads all 32 member states in citizens' willingness to fight for their country, with 88 percent of Turks saying they would take up arms if war broke out. Albania came in second at 69 percent, ahead of Sweden, Finland, and Montenegro. Greece also placed in the top 10, tied with Montenegro at 63 percent. The poll was commissioned by Riga Stradins University and conducted across all NATO member states in September and October 2025, drawing more than 31,000 respondents. It marks the first time the willingness-to-fight question has been asked simultaneously across every NATO ally in a single survey. Researchers say both Turkey and Albania's high scores reflect histories shaped by wars, sovereignty struggles, and deeply embedded traditions of national service. At the other end of the spectrum, Italy and Slovakia both recorded the lowest figures in the alliance, at just 25 percent. Germany came in at 27 percent, with the Netherlands at 30 percent, and Hungary and the Czech Republic each at 33 percent. Researchers attributed the low scores in Germany and Italy partly to the lasting cultural stigma tied to their roles in World War II. The United States and Canada landed slightly below the NATO midpoint, at 37 and 39 percent respectively, a finding that has drawn attention given both countries' central role in the alliance's collective defense commitments. Researchers were quick to caution that poll responses do not guarantee how people would actually behave in a real conflict, since the pace of a war, allied support, and personal circumstances all factor into the final decision. Still, the data points to a significant gap in threat perception and civic readiness across the alliance, one NATO member states are now being urged to take seriously. #NATO #Greece #Turkey