Egypt has imposed restrictions on male citizens travelling to Turkey and war-torn Libya to stop them joining militant organisations like the ISIS group, a security official said on Wednesday.Men aged between 18 and 40 years who plan to travel to the two countries need prior clearance from Egyptian immigration under the new rules which came into effect on December 3.
"We are adopting these measures to protect our sons from joining terrorist groups abroad," the official said. "Now every man travelling to these countries must clearly state the reason to the authorities."
Ties between Cairo and Ankara have deteriorated since the army ousted Mursi, a key ally of Turkey. Egypt has accused Ankara of "backing terrorism," while Turkey has dubbed Mursi's ouster a "coup".
Turkey, a vocal critic of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, has denied accusations that it tolerates the flow of foreign fighters into Syria.
Cairo has also regularly raised concerns over the war in Libya, which has plunged into chaos since the ouster and killing of long-time leader Moammer Gaddafi in 2011.