Nicosia, Cyprus. Former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said it is impossible to abolish the United Kingdom’s bases in Cyprus without first resolving the Cyprus problem. His remarks come amid discussions within government and at the European Council about renegotiating the bases’ status.
Talat links bases issue to Cyprus settlement
Talat said the issue of the bases cannot be resolved without a solution to the Cyprus problem and criticised the Greek Cypriot leadership for raising the matter without consulting Turkish Cypriots. He said the aim is not to remove the bases but to gain an advantage in the Cyprus problem.
Talat said the Greek Cypriot leadership wants to present itself as the state and sole decision-maker, which he said the Turkish Cypriot side cannot accept. He said the issue should be addressed by prioritising a solution to the Cyprus problem.
Call for removal after a solution
Talat said that once the Cyprus problem is resolved, the British sovereign bases must be removed. He said that if the bases are used for offensive purposes, they draw all Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, into tensions in which they are not involved, and described the bases as remnants of the colonial era.
Turkish Cypriot role and criticism of Christodoulides
Talat said the British sovereign bases emerged as part of the Republic of Cyprus, established with the signatures of Turkey, Greece, the UK, and the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities. He said Turkish Cypriots also have a say in such matters.
He criticised President Nikos Christodoulides for demanding talks on the bases’ future without consulting the Turkish Cypriots, calling it disrespectful. Talat said the correct approach would be to focus on resolving the Cyprus problem and then negotiate with the UK.
Christodoulides addressed the issue of Turkish Cypriot involvement in talks on the bases’ future while attending an event to mark Greece’s independence day on Wednesday, arguing that Turkish Cypriots should solve the Cyprus problem before gaining access to a voice regarding the bases’ future.
What role should Turkish Cypriots have in any talks on the future status of the UK bases in Cyprus?
