Turkey said on Friday the international community will have no option but to recognise breakaway northern Cyprus and lift the embargo on it if Turkish Cypriots approve a UN peace plan and Greek Cypriots reject it.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul made the comments as pressure grew on both sides of the divided Mediterranean island to approve the UN blueprint at referendums on April 24.
Earlier this week a newspaper quoted Gul as saying Ankara would seek recognition for the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) if Greek Cypriot voters reject the plan, and a reporter on Friday asked him about reports that the embargo on the north could be lifted.
"If the situation which you described emerges, undoubtedly there can be no path other than recognising the TRNC and lifting the unjust embargo against it," Gul told a news conference.
The reunification plan, completed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan after inconclusive peace talks last month, aims to end a 30-year ethnic split before Cyprus joins the EU on May 1.
If either side votes "no", only the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government will join the bloc.
Turkey, the only country to recognise the TRNC, invaded northern Cyprus in 1974 in response to a Greek Cypriot coup backed by Greece.