Turkish Cypriot prime minister resigns

The president of the Turkish-controlled north of Cyprus has accepted the resignation of his Prime Minister, Dervis Eroglu, after the collapse of his coalition administration.

The collapse came amid disagreements on whether to rejoin talks on the future of the divided island.

Turkish news agencies say the Turkish-Cypriot president, Rauf Denktash, will meet political leaders on Monday to discuss forming a new administration.

The main National Unity party is already beginning talks with other parties about forming a new alliance.

The BBC Turkey correspondent says the coalition between it and its main partner, the Communal Liberation Party, was an awkward one. The government of northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey, which invaded the north of the island in 1974.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service