Cyprus wants to discuss the future of military bases with Britain
Cyprus has initiated talks with the United Kingdom regarding the future of its military bases on the island amid security concerns following the March 2 drone strike on the Akrotiri Air Base during a U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran.
This was reported by CyprusMail.
Cyprus President Nicos Christodoulides stated that the government has a plan but did not elaborate.
“When we act, we do so in a planned manner and with a clear objective,” he said.
When asked when negotiations with Britain might begin, the Cypriot president replied that resolving the crisis is currently the priority, but noted that preliminary discussions with London have already taken place.
According to him, preliminary discussions with the British government regarding non-military infrastructure within the bases were positive.
“We have a clear plan on how to proceed step by step on all issues related to the British bases in Cyprus,” said Christodoulides, as quoted by Reuters.
Cypriot politicians and legal experts have long expressed concern about the presence of the two bases on the island, which are among Britain’s most important overseas strongholds and have supported operations in the Middle East. But following the March 2 drone strike on the Akrotiri airbase, Cypriot officials accused the UK of failing to warn more than 1,000 Cypriots living nearby of the threat in a timely manner.
In 2014, Cyprus and the UK signed an agreement to ease restrictions on private property development within the boundaries of the so-called Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs). The territory covers just under three percent of Cyprus’s land area.
The British destroyer HMS Dragon arrived in Cyprus to protect the military bases.
Cyprus President Nicos Christodoulides stated that the country will hold talks with the UK regarding the future of their military bases on the island. He called them a “colonial legacy” and noted that discussions will take place after the situation in the Middle East stabilizes.
Britain did not allow the U.S. to use the bases in Cyprus.
