British Bases status in Cyprus under reconsideration

Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said on Tuesday that after the signing of the strategic partnership agreement between the UK and Turkey, the Cypriot government conveyed the message to London that the status of the Sovereign British Bases (SBA) in Cyprus was under reconsideration.

Replying to questions regarding the problems for the funding of businesses within the SBA areas, President Papadopoulos said there was a problem with the introduction of the euro in the Bases, since the UK has not entered the Eurozone, adding that efforts for the acquis communautaire to apply to the Bases were continuing.

”We recently had the negative development regarding the signing of the strategic agreement between England and Turkey, and we have notified the English that the whole pattern of the relations of the Bases, the status of the Bases, the status of Cypriot citizens and the treaties are, on our side, under reconsideration,” he said.

Cyprus gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1960. Britain, Greece and Turkey were the guarantors of Cyprus’ independence under the 1960 Treaty and since then Britain has retained two military bases on the island.