Brussels, Belgium. The European Council said it “stands ready to assist” Cyprus in discussions with the United Kingdom regarding the future of the UK’s two sovereign bases on the island. The statement followed recent comments by President Nikos Christodoulides and political figures after the Akrotiri base was hit by an Iranian-made drone.
European Council conclusion
In conclusions adopted after the summit of the leaders of the European Union’s 27 member states in Brussels, the European Council said it “acknowledges the intention of Cyprus to initiate a discussion with the UK on the UK bases in Cyprus and stands ready to assist when needed”.
Christodoulides’ comments on talks and responsibilities
On arrival at the summit, Christodoulides said, “we are going to have an open and frank discussion with the British government” about the future of the bases.
He described the bases as “something that is a colonial consequence” and said there are “more than 10,000 Cypriot citizens within the British bases,” adding, “We have a responsibility to those people, and when the situation in the Middle East, we are going to have an open and frank discussion with the British government.”
Asked whether he wants the bases to be “gone”, he said, “we have a clear approach with regard to the future of the British bases,” and added, “I am sure that you understand that I am not going to negotiate in public”.
UK stance and recent statements
The UK’s parliamentary undersecretary of state for the armed forces, Al Carns, said on Tuesday that the bases’ future is “not in question”.
Carns also said that when Defence Secretary John Healey visited the island earlier this month, “the Cypriot national guard reaffirmed that our relationship is closer now than ever before”.
Political reactions in Cyprus
Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou demanded the bases’ abolition, saying his party has been “emphasising this for decades, calling for the abolition of the bases,” and that “the challenge now is to make it clear at every opportunity that Cyprus is not and does not want to become a war base”.
Turkish Cypriot opposition political party CTP deputy leader Asim Akansoy said the UK’s continued possession of two sovereign bases on the island is “a great mistake of history”.
What do you think the next steps should be in discussions between Cyprus and the UK over the sovereign bases?
