Turkey rejected EU warnings on Cyprus

He said EU leaders had guaranteed not to put the resolution of the island’s division as a pre-condition for Turkey in documents dating back to 1999 when they declared the country a candidate for membership.

"The settlement of the Cyprus problem is a separate issue. Of course, a solution will create a positive atmposhere… and we are expending great efforts," the minister said.

The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, is to formally release its progress reports on the 13 membership candidates later in the day.

The document, parts of which have been leaked to the press, warns Turkey that its hopes of starting entry talks with the European Union could be blocked if the division of Cyprus between its Turkish and Greek communities is not settled.

"I guess common sense will prevail and a reasonable report will be issued," Gul said.

He added that Ankara had expended "intense" diplomatic efforts to weed out any criticism over Cyprus from the report.

Gul talked with EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen over the telephone to press for amendments in the draft, a senior diplomat told AFP.

"Our position is clear. We have always opposed any linkage between our candidacy for membership and the resolution of the Cyprus problem," he said.

Ankara argues that the Cyprus conflict is not among the political criteria required to start accession talks with the EU and complains that ending the island’s division is not put forward as a condition for the Greek Cypriots, who are set to join the EU in May.

Brussels says it will deny entry to the breakaway Turkish Cypriot side if it is not reunified in time with the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot sector in the south of the island.