ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's banking association is in talks with the chairmen of the country's top football clubs to restructure their mounting debts, state broadcaster TRT Spor said on Monday.
The total debt of the "Big Four" clubs in Turkey's Super Lig is more than 10 billion lira ($1.87 billion), exacerbated by worsening domestic and international performances.
Turkey's Football Federation (TFF) Chairman Yildirim Demiroren, Turkish Banking Association (TBB) Chairman Huseyin Aydin and club chairmen met at Ziraat Bank headquarters to discuss terms of the restructuring, TRT Spor said.
It said the clubs were asked to present their income and expense reports to the TBB by the end of January.
"The TBB and consortium partners, which will examine the reports, will set up a separate plan for each club. The proposal to split the debts into five installments will also be evaluated," TRT Spor said.
"All liabilities will be undertaken under the TBB's roof."
Shares in the clubs surged on Monday following the reports of the restructuring.
Shares of Istanbul giants Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas rose more than 5 percent, while Trabzonspor shares were up 4 percent.
The TFF and TBB chairman are expected to make a statement on the restructuring deal in a television interview later on Monday.
($1 = 5.3471 liras)
(Reporting by Ebru Tuncay and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dominic Evans)
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