In November 2011, Bekir Atacan's Syrian Turkmen Group, an organization of prominent and exile Syrian Turkmen, and Ali Öztürkmen's more street- and networking-affine Syrian Turkmen Movement had joined forces to form the Syria Turkmen Bloc.[1] Atacan and Öztürkmen were already appointed the first chairman resp. deputy chairman. Prior to the Blocs official establishment on 15 February 2012, the two leaders however left,[1] with Atacan citing his failed efforts to further enlarge the Bloc as the reason.[2] Joining forces with young Syrian Turkmens living in Turkey, they launched another formation, the Syrian Democratic Turkmen Movement.[1]