Manaf Tlas (r) trained at military academy with President Bashar al-Assad
A Syrian general from a powerful family close to President Bashar al-Assad has deserted the regime, sources close to his family have confirmed to the BBC.
They say Brig Gen Manaf Tlas was heading to Paris via Turkey.
Pro-government website Syriasteps earlier said Brig Gen Tlas had made an "escape", adding that the move was "insignificant".
If confirmed, it would be the highest-level defection since the unrest began in Syria 16 months ago.
Earlier rumours about his possible defection in March proved to be false.
'Good sign'
The sources confirmed to the BBC that Brig Gen Tlas had gone to Turkey. But it is not yet clear whether he has just abandoned the regime, or will join the Syrian opposition.
One family member told Reuters that he was now making his way to France, where his father, former Defence Minister Mustafa Tlas, is reportedly living.
This comes as French President Francois Hollande is hosting a Paris conference with representatives of more than 100 countries to try to find a way to end the violence in Syria.
The general's intentions may only become clear if and when he appears in public to outline his plans, the BBC's James Reynolds on the Turkish-Syrian border reports.
Amer al-Sadeq, a member of a Damascus-based opposition group, described the latest development as "a good sign".
"Defecting soldiers, we see many of them, defecting officers, the more they come the better it is to make the regime weaker," Mr Sadeq told the BBC.
Manaf Tlas' father, Mustafa, was Syria's defence minister
Brig Gen Tlas, believed to be in his mid-40s, is a commander of a unit of the elite Republican Guard. As a young man he attended military training with President Assad.
Brig Gen Tlas has been under a form of home arrest since May 2011 because he opposed the security solution that the regime has been implementing, sources say.
He also was the first government official to meet the opposition back last year to try to start a dialogue and find a political solution to the 16-month crisis.
Unlike most of Syria's Alawite leaders, the son of former Defence Minister Mustafa Tlas is a Sunni Muslim.
For decades, the Tlas family has given support to the Assad family, helping to ensure Bashar al-Assad's succession to the presidency 12 years ago.
If Manaf Tlas' permanent departure from Syria is confirmed, it would mark the first break of a member of President Assad's close circle, correspondents say.
Observers believe that the move may encourage other Sunni officers to consider their allegiances.
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