Egypt Unrest Forces Syrian Rebel Group to Shift HQ to Turkey

Growing unrest in Egypt has forced Syrian rebel leaders to flee the country and move their headquarters to Turkey.

The army-backed interim administration in Egypt has clamped down on the movement of senior figures of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), making it difficult for them to operate from Cairo.

Scores of rebel leaders have already left Egypt, Khaled Khoja, Turkish representative of the opposition bloc, told the Ankara-based Hürriyet Daily News.

"Many Syrian opposition figures are leaving Egypt, Mouaz al-Khatib, the former head of the Syrian National Coalition, has plans to settle in Turkey," said Khoja.

Al-Khatib recently stepped down from his position after failing to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"Just a few days before the coup, a meeting on Syria took place in Cairo. Morsi had said they would freeze diplomatic relations with the Bashar al-Assad regime. Right after the coup, this decision was overturned and the new regime said they would upgrade relations with Syria," said Khoja.

He also alleged that many Syrians have been assassinated in Egypt.

The interim government in Cairo has made it clear that it is strictly opposed to Assad's regime, but said it will not be "waging Jihad" in Syria on behalf of the rebels.

Interim Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy earlier said that Egypt's acting administration will reconsider diplomatic ties between Cairo and Damascus.