Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ high commissioner to the UK Dr Kyriacos Kouros said Britain should already have been present on and around the island amid expanding Middle East hostilities, adding that HMS Dragon would not arrive for another week. He said a drone attack on Saturday night hit its target, the Akrotiri British air force base, and Cyprus did not want to be drawn into the conflict.
Call for faster UK action
Speaking on Sky News on Wednesday, Kouros said the UK should consider that thousands of Cypriots live in and around the British bases and that 5 per cent of Cyprus’ population are British expats, adding that the response should have been immediate.
High-level contacts between Cyprus and UK
Kouros said the past three days had been “very hectic,” citing discussions between the president of Cyprus and the UK prime minister on Sunday and again on Tuesday. He added that the two countries’ foreign ministers and national security advisers had been in continuous contact regarding the situation in Cyprus.
HMS Dragon and additional deployments
On the timing of HMS Dragon’s deployment, Kouros said, “Dragon is welcome, it will take more than a week – I think – to arrive.” He added that he had heard some Wildcat helicopters were en route and that the defence secretary, John Healey, would probably visit the island.
Coordination amid a “new development”
Kouros said the activity showed “necessary engagement because of the seriousness of the situation,” adding that it was the first time the British bases had been hit directly. He said this was a new development requiring continuous coordination between the Cypriot and British governments, stressing Cyprus did not consider itself part of the conflict and did not intend to become part of it.
Organisation and ongoing communication
Asked whether the two governments were in continuous contact, Kouros said they were. He said that initially there was “some lack of proper organisation,” but added that they were now “back on where we should have been from the start.”
How do you think the UK and Cyprus should coordinate to protect civilians near the British bases while keeping Cyprus out of the conflict?