A drone strike this week on a British air base in Cyprus has renewed calls to end Britain's military presence on the Mediterranean island, as many fear being drawn into the wider conflict over Iran.
Cypriot politicians have long had concerns about the two British air bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which have been British sovereign territories since Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960.
But the issue resurfaced after an Iranian drone, which security forces say was launched by Iran's ally Hezbollah, struck the Akrotiri base on Monday. There were no injuries, but the incident has put the island on high alert and forced civilians in the area to evacuate.
There are no concrete signs so far that Cyprus will demand the closure of the bases. But growing calls for a reconsideration of the status of the bases show how the Iran conflict is already complicating international relations in the region.
The issue concerns not only the security of Cypriots but also Britain's military presence abroad. Akrotiri and Dhekelia are among Britain's most important military positions and have been supporting operations in the Middle East for decades.
Asked whether Cyprus would review the status of the British bases, President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters today that “Nothing is out of the question”.
The pro-government newspaper “Filelefteros“ was more direct: “The bases must be closed. They are threatening us,” wrote analyst Costas Venizelos in his column on Wednesday.
The two bases, which cover about 99 square miles along the southern and eastern coasts of Cyprus, are under full British jurisdiction. The bases, known as the “sunny assignment” because of their laid-back lifestyle, are home to about 7,000 personnel and their families, and about 12,000 Cypriots live in the immediate vicinity.
Cypriot officials were furious over the weekend when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not publicly rule out the possibility of the bases in Cyprus being used for the US and Israeli campaign against Iran, leading to a series of clarifying statements from London that the bases on the island were not being used.
London later dispatched Defence Secretary John Healey to Nicosia in an effort to defuse tensions. President Christodoulides met today with the head of British intelligence agency MI6, Blaise Metreveli, although it was not clear what they discussed.
“Yes, there was irritation“ at Starmer's statements, Christodoulides told Greek broadcaster Sky in an interview late last night.
Cyprus legal experts say the agreements governing the existence of the bases need to be reviewed. According to them, the bases are a remnant of colonialism that is incompatible with the UN Charter.
There are no signs yet that London intends to reconsider their status.
“Our sovereign bases are perfectly legal under international law“, said a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense.
However, according to Cypriot experts, there is a precedent with the 2005 British agreement to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after international courts ruled that the islands' separation during the colonial era was illegal.
“This case is similar and could be applied to the case of Cyprus – bases to be placed on a new basis, fully in line with international law“, said Costas Cleridis, a former prosecutor general and Supreme Court judge.
The debate is unlikely to subside. Cypriot officials seem reluctant to engage in this battle while the internal conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots remains unresolved.
“It is not that simple“, said one Cypriot official.
Translated from English by Sofia Georgieva, BTA