"WE ARE NOT NEGOTIATING THE BASES'' SAYS THE UK DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENCE - SOVEREIGNTY IN AKROTIRI AND DHEKELIA OUT OF THE QUESTION - Filenews 12/4
The status of British military bases in Cyprus is not up for negotiation, Britain's Armed Forces Minister told The Telegraph.
In an exclusive interview, Al Carns insisted that the concession of sovereignty over Akrotiri and Dhekelia is out of the question in the context of the upcoming talks with the Cypriot government.
"We have to be absolutely clear on this, the legal status of the Sovereign Base Areas is unshakable," said the former senior Royal Marine officer.
After the outbreak of war in the Middle East, the president of Cyprus announced plans to renegotiate the future of Britain's "colonial" bases with the end of hostilities.
Despite being about 200 miles away, Iran and its allies have launched dozens, if not hundreds, of ballistic missiles and drones toward Cyprus, which hosts British and American forces, in retaliation for Trump's military campaign.
Security concerns were further heightened when a kamikaze drone hit a hangar housing two US U2 spy planes at the RAF base in Akrotiri.
This led allies of Nikos Christodoulidis to work out plans, based on Britain's agreement on the Chagos Islands, with the aim of regaining sovereign control of the bases on the island.
Speaking at a summit of EU leaders last month, Mr. Christodoulides said: "When this unpleasant situation in Cyprus is over, we need to have an open and honest discussion with the British government about the status of the British bases... the status and future of the British bases in Cyprus".
According to the plan that Nicosia may be considering, the two military facilities would pass into the sovereignty of Cyprus, but would be leased back to Britain for continuous use.
Akrotiri and Dhekelia remained under British control under the independence agreement of Cyprus in 1960.
Speaking from the RAF base in Akrotiri, Mr. Carns dismissed any possibility that the government would discuss returning control of the bases.
Instead of opening a dialogue on the status of the bases, he believes that the best approach is to cooperate with Nicosia for the effective defense of the island.
"What we are seeing, because of the threat that has arisen, is for the first time in a long time that the Cypriots, the British and other allies are working together for a unified defense plan," he said.
"We understand that there is some friction, but the reality is that the legal basis of these sovereign areas is not negotiable."
Instead, the commanders are stepping up the bases' defenses, showing Britain's commitment to protecting not only the facilities but the whole of Cyprus.
Since the first attack with drones, the army, navy and air force have created a complex air defense grid.
Radar and helicopters detect threats, while F-35 and Typhoon fighter jets intercept missiles and drones.
In the case of ballistic missiles, the destroyer HMS Dragon was deployed in the area for defensive cover, while Britain reinforced the forces with 500 additional air defense personnel.
The plan was developed over the last five weeks in collaboration with Cypriots, Americans and French, within the framework of the Cyprus Defence Coordination Centre.
The commander of the British Forces Cyprus, Tom Bewick, said that in times of crisis "people tend to unite".
At the same time, Britain is coordinating about 40 initiatives to open the Strait of Hormuz.
However, it is considered unlikely that naval forces will be deployed immediately until the ceasefire between the US and Iran is consolidated.
Mr. Carns underlined that securing the Straits in the midst of conflict is extremely difficult and requires a major military operation.
In the same interview, he stressed the need to invest in defense against ballistic missiles and drones, while also praising an American pilot rescue operation.
He also mentioned that Russia has helped develop Iranian tactics, combining electronic warfare, missiles and drones.
Finally, Mr. Mr Carns agreed with Trump's criticism of European allies' defence spending in NATO, but stressed that the US remains a strategic ally of Britain.
Responding to the characterization of British aircraft carriers as "toys", he said: "Our aircraft carriers are among the most capable in the world."
telegraph.uk
