A survey carried out by Ipsos and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) revealed that Italians perceive Turkey as one of the countries posing a major threat to the world. 

The survey asked "which country is the biggest threat to the world?" and 14 percent of the participants answered Turkey.

China was the biggest perceived threat with 27 percent followed by Iran with 15 percent. Turkey was the third country named. 

According to the survey, more and more Italians consider Turkey as a major threat. Last year, 8 per cent of Italians saw Turkey as a threat.

Turkey was followed by North Korea with 12 percent, the United Stated with 10 percent and Russia with 8 percent. 

Commenting on the results of the survey, ISPI Director Paolo Magri said that among the factors that placed Turkey third in the survey were Ankara's arguments with Greece and France regarding the eastern Mediterranean, "threats concerning migrants" and military interventions in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.