A recent study has found that more than half of the Syrians in Turkey trust the country more than the U.N., a Syrian Dialogue Center official revealed at a forum yesterday. Organized by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM), the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications, the "MENA Think Tank Forum: Migration and Diaspora" began in Ankara on July 9.

Kenda Hawasli from the Syrian Dialogue Center said in yesterday's session that 54 percent of Syrians have more faith in Turkey than the U.N. He added that the majority of Syrians stand against voting in an election because of past experiences, calling the elections held in the past 30 years a "theater."

Hafez al-Assad, the father of the current leader of the Syrian regime, Bashar Assad, seized power via a coup in 1971 and became the unquestioned ruler of Syria. He then implemented many oppressive laws to strengthen his power. Despite the fact that Hafez held elections every seven years, he was elected with nearly 100 percent votes in all of these polls as no other political movements or actors were allowed in the country. The Syrian Dialogue Center is a Syrian civil institution that aims to revive and empowering dialogue over the issues that affect the Syrian people. It aims to strengthen relations and empower cooperation and coordination between Syrians.

Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kıran, YTB Vice Director Abdulhadi Turus and head of ORSAM professor Ahmet Uysal also attended Tuesday's session.