Keir Starmer warned not to repeat Chagos fiasco in Cyprus | Politics | News
Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Britain must not lose control of its military bases in Cyprus or risk a repeat of the debacle in the Chagos Islands. The Cypriot Government is reportedly preparing “at all levels” for negotiations on the future of military bases on the island. This has triggered concerns that Cyprus may seek its own version of the agreement under which the Labor Government agreed to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back the UK-US Diego Garcia base.
Cyprus Post It reported that government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that “if there is anything that can be announced at the appropriate time, wherever and whenever it is available, it will be announced.”
Britain’s Akrotiri airbase was hit by a drone strike earlier this month. This has triggered questions about Britain’s ability to protect bases as US and Israeli attacks on Iran continue.
Another spokesperson for the Cypriot Government said earlier in the week that it had received legal advice on the agreement that forms the basis of the British presence at the bases. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides described the bases as “colonial ruins”.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “Keir Starmer’s weakness and indecisiveness on the war in Iran, and his evasiveness and unpreparedness when it came to defending our assets, have deeply disappointed our allies and left our bases exposed. Now his evasive words have raised serious questions about the future of our bases, which are key to our national security in Cyprus. Starmer must show some backbone, commit to the future of our bases and ensure Cyprus remains committed to the future of our bases.” The next Chagos must provide.”
The Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus group demanded that Turkish Cypriots be included in the talks regarding the future of the bases.
The statement said: “If negotiations continue on the UK’s sovereign base areas (SBAs) or any issue touching sovereignty and security, they must reflect the reality of the two peoples on the island and include Turkish Cypriots as equal participants. This is not a matter of preference, but of principle. Any process that ignores this will lack both legitimacy and permanence.”
A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: “As the Defense Secretary has stated, the long-standing friendship between the UK and the Republic of Cyprus remains strong in the face of threats from Iran. The status of sovereign base areas is not in question.”
“The SBAs were never part of the Republic of Cyprus as UK sovereignty was retained over these areas when Cyprus became independent in 1960. We have no plans to change this.”
