AKIPRESS.COM - Shareholders of Canada's Turquoise Hill on Friday voted in favour of Rio Tinto's $3.3 billion bid to take it private and gain direct control over a giant Mongolian copper mine, Reuters reported.

Turquoise Hill said 86.6% voted to approve Rio Tinto acquiring 49% of shares that it does not already own, giving the Anglo-Australian miner a 66% stake in Oyu Tolgoi, the world's largest known copper and gold deposit.

The deal was also approved by about 60.5% of the votes from minority shareholders, the Canadian miner said.

The vote clears the way for global mining giant Rio Tinto to gain more autonomy over Oyu Tolgoi, which is 66% owned by Turquoise Hill and 34% by the Mongolian government, and operated by Rio.