DUBAI (Reuters) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council said on Monday it will recognize Syria's newly formed opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

Syrian opposition groups struck a deal in Doha on Sunday to form a broad coalition to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

"The GCC declares its recognition of the Syrian national coalition ... as the legitimate representative of the brotherly Syrian people," Abdulatif al-Zayani, the GCC's secretary general, said in a statement.