The European Union has backed Cyprus after it declared it wanted “an open and frank discussion” about the future of British military bases on the island nation.The Mediterranean island hosts two British sovereign bases, RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which together comprise 256 square kilometres (99 square miles).The two military bases are home to thousands of Cypriots – which their President Nikos Christodoulides has said may be under threat as the war with Iran continues.Mr Christodoulides said: “We have more than 10,000 Cypriot citizens within the British bases; we have responsibility for those people and when the situation is over in the Middle East, we are going to have an open and frank discussion with the British Government.”
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EU leaders on Thursday said they would stand behind Cyprus and provided unequivocal support for the bloc’s eastern-most member state.The EU leaders said: “The European Council acknowledges the intention of Cyprus to initiate a discussion with the UK on the UK bases in Cyprus and stands ready to provide assistance as needed.”RAF Akrotiri was struck by a Shahed drone on March 2, said to have been launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon.The drone hit a hangar used to house two US U-2 spy planes at the sovereign base.Protests then broke out in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, with furious locals saying British presence made it a target and the British military could no longer protect the island sufficiently.Signs were held emblazoned with messages including “Cyprus is NOT your launchpad” and “Stop the war”.The bases are sovereign British soil.One woman, in the village of Akrotiri, said Cyprus wanted “nothing to do with this war”.The Cypriot President then raged at how the two bases stood as a “colonial consequence” on the island.LATEST ON CYPRUS:HMS Dragon arrives in Gibraltar entire week after being deployed to defend CyprusHMS Dragon ‘bobbed around in Channel for 3 days’ after deployment to CyprusBritain’s RAF bases could be REMOVED from Cyprus as officials rage over failure to protect islandCypriot officials are understood to have looked at Britain’s decision to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as a case study for renegotiating the status of the bases.The sovereign bases were last subject to talks during Brexit negotiations, with the withdrawal agreement containing a clause for Britain to protect the facilities.Discussions over the bases could now be reopened, as was the case for Gibraltar – which now allows free movement on its border.Cyprus gained independence from Britain in 1960, but Britain retained sovereignty over the two Sovereign Base Areas under a United Nations treaty.On March 3, just a day after the drone strike, a spokesman for Cyprus’s Government said the bases should be used purely for humanitarian purposes, saying Cyrpus was a “humanitarian hub”.While Cyprus’s Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos warned there were “questions, issues and concerns” over the sites.Britain has sent HMS Dragon from Portsmouth to Cyprus last week, but was slower to move than its European counterparts.Senior British military figures had painted the two bases as akin to an aircraft carrier in themselves – but were shot down by ministers who said ships were needed for “theatre”.The Type 45 Destroyer was seen in Gibraltar on March 17, and is expected to reach the Middle East to defend RAF Akrotiri by Monday at the earliest.France was one of the first to respond to Cyprus’s request for military assistance, sending the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the region.
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