ECB's Nowotny says Cyprus is a special case

The banking crisis in Cyprus is a special case and the rescue plan used is not a model for other countries, European Central Bank Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny said on Tuesday.

Early on Monday, Cyprus managed to clinch a deal with international lenders to shut down its second-largest bank and inflict heavy losses on uninsured depositors in return for a 10 billion euro ($13 billion) bailout.

Nowotny echoed earlier comments from ECB Executive Board member Benoit Coeure, who disagreed with Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem's assertion that the Cyprus bailout would serve as a model for crises elsewhere. The Dutchman later backtracked on his comments after markets read them as meaning private sector bail-ins would play a greater role in future rescues.

"Cyprus is a special case," Nowotny, who is also the head of Austria's central bank, told reporters at a conference in Prague. "It is no model for other instances."

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Catherine Evans)