The scheduled meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Wednesday was on Monday postponed.

it will now take place next Wednesday, September 9 at 10.30am government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said.

The rescheduling followed a request from the Turkish Cypriot side and comes after a ferry with over 250 passengers capsized off the coast of Kyrenia on Sunday afternoon, leaving at least eight dead and another 18 missing.

The postponement will also affect a scheduled meeting between the Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaous Menelaou and Erhurman’s undersecretary Mehmet Dana, set to be held on Monday.