Cyprus wants to settle status of British bases

In an interview with The Observer President Nikos Christodoulides has said Cyprus wants to settle the question of the British bases on the island and that London has not excluded talks on the subject, and has publicly ruled out any change to their legal status or sovereignty.

Bases and the colonial legacy

President Nikos Christodoulides has called for an end to what he described as the colonial legacy of Britain’s Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, in an interview with The Observer.

Christodoulides said it was time to reconsider the status of the bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. He stressed that this was not an expression of anti-British feeling, saying Cyprus’s relationship with Britain today was not the same as in 1960.

Christodoulides told the British newspaper that “we must end this colonial legacy”. He stressed that his position does not reflect any anti-British sentiment.

Asked what Cyprus would seek, he did not go into detail. He said several options exist.

Background to the dispute

The matter resurfaced after a drone hit RAF Akrotiri on March 2, during the US-Israeli war with Iran. The drone was most likely an Iranian-made Shahed launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah.

Following the strike, Christodoulides described the bases as a consequence of colonialism and promised an open discussion with London once the regional crisis was over. The Telegraph reported at that time that he was seeking to renegotiate security arrangements set out in the 1960 treaty.

London’s position

The British government has taken a firmer public stance. Defence Secretary Alistair Carns said the legal status of the bases cannot be negotiated and that handing over sovereignty is not on the table at all. He added that cooperation with Cyprus is the priority.

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