ISTANBUL, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Turkey's telecoms watchdog said on Tuesday it would have to approve any change in control of Turkcell, the country's biggest mobile phone operator, a day ahead of a British court ruling which could leave the firm with no major Turkish shareholder.

Britain's Privy Council is due to rule on Wednesday in a long-running battle Turkey's Cukurova holding company and Altimo, the telecoms arm of Russia's Alfa Group, which could be awarded Cukurova's 13.8 percent Turkcell stake.

(Reporting by Asli Kandemir; Writing by Nick Tattersall) Keywords: TURKCELL/

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