US EditionCyprus president calls for frank discussion on UK's 'colonial' bases
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides calls for talks on the status of UK bases after a drone strike heightened security concerns involving over 10,000 Cypriots living there.
- On Thursday, Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus, called for an open and frank discussion with the British government once the Middle East crisis is over, arriving in Brussels for an EU leaders' summit.
- Earlier this month, RAF Akrotiri was struck by drones; two were intercepted and a third caused minimal damage, with Hezbollah, Iranian-backed group, suspected as the source.
- Britain boosted its military presence and RAF jets flew sorties from Cyprus, while HMS Dragon set sail last week and two Greek frigates and a French naval ship arrived within days.
- The bases cover 98 sq miles and employ many locals; Christodoulides said over 10,000 Cypriot citizens live within Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and Cyprus has responsibility for them.
- Under the 1960 treaty on Cypriot independence, the UK retains sovereignty over Akrotiri and Dhekelia, with the armed forces minister saying the bases are 'not in question' and calling them a 'colonial consequence'.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Cyprus Calls for Talks Over ‘Colonial’ UK Military Bases on Strategically Vital Island
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said on March 19 that after the conflict in the Middle East is over, he wants to discuss the future of Britain’s military bases on the island. The bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia have been UK sovereign territory since a treaty was signed in 1960, when Cyprus was granted independence from the British Empire. On March 1, an Iranian drone was shot down and crashed on the air force base at Akrotiri, causing no …
The Cypriot President requested discussion with Britain on the status of the bases after the end of the war in the region.
RAF Akrotiri: EU backs Cyprus after it demands Chagos-style talks on 'colonial' British bases
The European Union has backed Cyprus after it declared it wanted "an open and frank discussion" about the future of British military bases on the island nation.The Mediterranean island hosts two British sovereign bases, RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which together comprise 256 square kilometres (99 square miles).The two military bases are home to thousands of Cypriots - which their President Nikos Christodoulides has said may be under threat as the…
Cyprus reconsiders 'future of the British bases' on island
Cyprus is warning that there will be “frank discussions” about the future of British bases on the island after the current Middle East conflict is over. President Nikos Christodoulides said at the European Council summit on Thursday that the “British bases in Cyprus are something that is a colonial consequence” and must be reexamined when current hostilities end. “We have more than 10,000 Cypriot citizens within the British bases. We have a resp…
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