Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash was expected in Istanbul Saturday to brief Turkey's Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on recent peace talks in Geneva over the future of the divided Mediterranean island.
The two leaders were also due to discuss the economic crisis Denktash faces in his self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Denktash was scheduled to arrive in Istanbul at around 1500 GMT directly from Geneva, where he and Greek Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides held two rounds of UN-sponsored indirect talks, which ended Friday.
The so-called 'proximity talks' to find a solution to the 26-year division of the island are scheduled to resume in New York on September 12th, and continue into October.
A senior Turkish diplomat told AFP Thursday that the meeting between Denktash and Ecevit would cover not only developments at the Geneva talks but also the economic crisis that has recently gripped breakaway northern Cyprus.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, who holds the Cyprus affairs portfolio, will also participate in the meeting.
Severe economic problems have recently plagued the TRNC, sparking violent protests against the Turkish Cypriot government and Ankara, which has propped up the embargo-hit state for years.
The TRNC, which was declared in 1983, is recognized only by Turkey, while Greek Cyprus enjoys international recognition.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered coup in Nicosia seeking to unite the island with Greece - ANKARA (AFP)
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