NICOSIA, March 25 (Reuters) – Cyprus has initiated a discussion with London on the future of British bases on the island, its president said on Wednesday, after a drone strike on a military facility this month triggered fears their presence could expose it to the wider Iran conflict.
Cypriot politicians and legal experts have long been uneasy with the presence of the two bases on the island, among Britain’s most important footholds outside of the United Kingdom and which have supported operations across the Middle East for decades.
But the March 2 strike at one facility, RAF Akrotiri, infuriated Cypriot officials who accused Britain of a failure to publicly clarify its assets were not going to be used in any offensive engagement, and the lack of a timely warning to more than 1,000 Cypriots living in close proximity to the base of an incoming threat.
“We have a clear plan on how to proceed step by step on all issues related to the British bases in Cyprus,” President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters.
He declined to be more specific. He said he had informed the British government of his intentions.
Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Tuesday that Nicosia was seeking new security arrangements related to the bases covered by a 1960 treaty which granted the former British colony independence. Britain says the status of the bases is not up for renegotiation.
There have been changes to the competencies of the bases once before.
In 2014, Cyprus and Britain signed a deal easing restrictions on the development of privately owned properties which fall within the so-called Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs). The territory covers just under three percent of Cyprus’ land mass.
Christodoulides implied that he was seeking broader talks. “In the past there have been negotiations – not to the extent that we want to start with the British side (now) – and the British side did respond.”
(Writing by Michele KambasEditing by Keith Weir)
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