By Daisy Ayliffe - 8th November 2006
The EU is set to warn Turkey it has five weeks to open its ports to Cyprus.
In its annual progress report on Wednesday the European commission will stop short of recommending any punishment for Turkey over Cyprus.
The EU executive is instead hoping that the stalement can be resolved through a final diplomatic push in time for a decision at a December summit of EU leaders.
The commission was split over whether to use Wednesday's report to recommend punishment for Turkey.
But president José Manuel Barroso and enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn were against sparking a crisis ahead of the December summit.
Turkey insists it will not open its ports and airports to EU member state Cyprus unless the isolation of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot republic in the island's north is lifted.
Finnish plans to solve the Turkey–Cyprus impasse would see restrictions on the Turkish-run north of Cyprus cut back if Ankara agrees to open up its ports to the Greek Cypriots.
But Cyprus is not the only cause for concern in Brussels.
Leaked drafts of the commission’s crucial report suggest the EU also continues to be concerned about the slow pace of reform.
The commission is set to express particular unease over the lack of progress on human rights and freedom of expression.
The report is also set to hit out at Turkey's resistance to amending Article 301 of its penal code.
Article 301 sets out punishments for insulting the Turkish Republic, its officials or "Turkishness."
The law has been used to press charges against authors, journalists and scholars.
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