Egypt restricts travelling to Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Libya

Egyptian authorities have imposed restrictions on men aged between 18 and 40 wishing to travel to Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Libya, fearing they will join jihadi groups, an official said Thursday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Ayman Helmi told Efe that Egyptian men in the proscribed age range seeking to travel to these countries are required to obtain authorisation from the passports department of the ministry.

According to Helmi, the new procedure is aimed at protecting Egyptians from joining in armed conflicts and to prevent their recruitment by jihadi militias in Libya, Syria and Iraq.

In the case of Turkey, Egypt wants to prevent potential jihadis from crossing the border into neighbouring Syria to join the Islamic State, IS, radical group.