Cyprus wants base treaty torn up after France beat UK to defend island | UK | News
Sir Keir Starmer faced demands to rip up a 60-year-old defense agreement on Saturday after Iranian drones penetrated the perimeter of Britain’s most strategically vital overseas military installation, leaving it embarrassingly up to France, not Britain, to send warships to the island’s aid.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides held a lengthy phone call pressing the Prime Minister for a fundamental overhaul of security arrangements supporting RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia, two Royal territory bases covering 99 square miles of the eastern Mediterranean island.
“We need to have an open and frank discussion with the British government on the situation of the British bases, the situation and the future of the British bases in Cyprus,” Mr Christodoulides said.
What does Nicosia want?
The Express understands that renegotiation efforts are focusing on the 1960 independence agreement, a Cold War-era document that Nicosia sees as completely inadequate for the security environment now facing the island.
According to the news, the complete surrender of the bases is not on the table. Instead, it appears that what Cyprus is seeking is a more transparent relationship; advance warning of planned operations, clearer lines of communication about deployments, and greater say over the security risks bases may pose to the surrounding population.
The government in Nicosia confirmed on Tuesday that it had “received legal advice on the 1960 agreements”, adding: “The security issue is complex and will be subject to discussion with the British side.”
London stands firm
The Ministry of Defense has rejected any suggestion that the basic status of the bases could be reviewed, according to a report by the Telegraph newspaper.
“SBAs [sovereign base areas] Cyprus was never part of the Republic of Cyprus when it gained independence in 1960, as British sovereignty remained in those areas, a spokesman said. “We have no plans to change this,” he reportedly said.
“The long-standing friendship between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus remains strong despite threats from Iran.”
Starmer is understood to have told Christodoulides that neither base would be used to launch offensive attacks on Tehran and made a personal commitment that Cyprus security was among Britain’s highest priorities.
The attack that changed everything
The crisis was triggered by a pair of low-altitude drone strikes on 1 March and 4 March that breached base defenses and destroyed a hangar at Akrotiri housing two American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft; This was a major intelligence coup for both London and Washington.
There were no British naval ships near the Eastern Mediterranean when the attacks came. When Cyprus suddenly became vulnerable, Nicosia made an urgent appeal to its partners in the European Union, and French warships, not the Royal Navy, were the first to respond.
HMS Dragon finally entered the Mediterranean only on Tuesday, nearly three weeks after the attack.
It’s a shame for the British army
The series of events raised troubling questions about the reach and preparedness of Britain’s armed forces.
A French deployment that would surpass the Royal Navy in the defense of Britain’s sovereign territory would intensify long-standing concerns about whether strained defense budgets are leaving the UK unable to protect its own assets abroad.
The 1960 agreement bound Britain, Cyprus, Greece and Türkiye to a framework of mutual consultation on the defense of the island.
