A study by an Istanbul-based university revealed that the number of people against the involvement of Turkey in resolution of the Syrian conflict dropped.Kadir Has University researchers studied the public perception of Turkey's foreign policy for the new edition of a previous study, first conducted in 2013.The percentage of people supporting the notion that Turkey should avoid taking sides in the four-year-old conflict with the country's southern neighbor, dropped to 31.6 percent this year, compared to over 40 percent.The number of people calling for Turkish support to international sanctions toward the Syrian regime also increased, according to the survey.Turkey, which hosts over 1.8 million displaced Syrians fleeing from the war, is a constant critic of the Bashar Assad regime, whose brutal crackdown on the opposition escalated into a civil war. The country hosts Syrian opposition members and repeatedly calls for a new administration in Syria without Bashar Assad. Its proximity to the war-torn country also raises concerns for Turkey, as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) recruits foreign fighters sneaking into Syria via Turkey. Turkey has deported thousands of foreigners caught heading toward Syria to join ISIS and complains about the lack of international cooperation to stem the flow of foreigners, particularly European Union citizens.Although Turkey rules out an outright military intervention in Syria, it continuously expressed its support for a comprehensive international strategy that includes safe and no-fly zones in Syria, along with the training of Syrian rebels. A train-and-equip program in coordination with the United States is in the works with Turkish officials announcing the rebels will be trained in a central Turkish city, though the full extent of the program remains unannounced. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had said earlier that Turkey aimed to consolidate the moderate opposition in Syria both politically and militarily. "We advocate a political resolution but a significant alternative in the field is also needed," Çavuşoğlu told Daily Sabah last week.Ufuk Ulutaş, an expert on foreign policy, says that the study may not be a fully correct indicator of the Turkish public's view of the Syrian conflict. Researchers say 1,000 people were interviewed for the survey in 26 cities.However, Ulutaş, foreign policy director of prominent think tank Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), adds that the public may be yearning for an active role for Turkey as the humanitarian crisis in Syria ascends, as well as threats by ISIS. "It may also point out that Turkey became a key actor (in resolution of the conflict)," Ulutaş said. He adds that there is not a single country in the world that acts as a neutral actor regarding the issue.