Britain withholding Cypriot defence equipment

Britain is refusing to return damaged defence equipment sent to it via Switzerland for repairs, owing to its arms embargo with Cyprus, according to reports.

The Cyprus Mail reported on Sunday that Cyprus sent malfunctioning helicopter equipment to the manufacturers based in Switzerland for repairs, but because one of the components was made in the UK, it was forwarded to London.

Cyprus’ relations with Britain have been prickly for some time, as Greek Cypriots accuse Britain of taking Turkey’s side in the Cyprus problem and in January President Tassos Papadopoulos refused to meet Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw who was visiting the island on official business.

Both Britain and the US imposed an arms embargo on the island after the Turkish invasion of 1974. The US technically lifted the embargo in 1978 but insists that US-made weapons are still not allowed on the island.

However, Greek Cypriots regularly accuse the Turkish army of importing US-made equipment into the occupied north.