The United Nations responded yesterday to a threat from Turkey to annex the Turkish-Cypriot state by urging Ankara to reach a settlement before the island joins the EU.
The Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Bulent Ecevit, said at the weekend that Turkey could "annex" the territory if Cyprus, a frontrunner for EU membership, joins before a settlement is reached.
The UN special envoy to Cyprus, Mr Alvaro de Soto, met the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr Ismail Cem, in Ankara yesterday.
Later, Mr de Soto said the President of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, made it very clear "there is a strong preference and a strong desire by the European Union there should be a settlement on Cyprus" before Cypriot EU membership "comes to a decision".
Cyprus, which hopes to join the EU by 2004, has been partitioned since a Turkish invasion in 1974. Only Ankara recognises the Turkish Cypriot regime in the northern part of the island.
Mr de Soto said both the EU and the UN believed a settlement would be reached before Cyprus joins the EU.
Turkey has said in the past that economic integration with northern Cyprus was an option, but has carefully avoided suggesting annexation. Such a move would jeopardise Ankara's hopes of one day joining the EU.
The UN envoy, who met with the island's leaders on both sides of the divide last week, added that a lasting solution to the Cyprus question required "political will, flexibility and willingness to compromise".
He refrained from commenting on Mr Ecevit's weekend remarks, but said the common goal of both the UN and the EU was a peaceful solution.
Mr Cem is due in Athens later this week for a two-day official visit to Greece and talks with his Greek counterpart, Mr George Papandreou.
Both men are credited with significantly reducing the strain in relations between the two countries in the past two years.