UK Rules Out Sovereignty Talks Over Cyprus Military Bases

(MENAFN) Britain has made clear it will not enter into discussions over the ownership of its military bases in Cyprus, following signals from the Greek Cypriot leadership about potentially revisiting their status.

According to statements reported on Sunday, Armed Forces Minister Al Carns reaffirmed that the legal standing of the UK’s sovereign base areas remains firmly established, even as the possibility of future talks has been raised.

“We have to be really clear on this, the legal status of the sovereign base areas is rock solid,” he said.

His comments came after Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides indicated an interest in addressing the future of the Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases once regional tensions subside.

Carns also pointed to increasing cooperation among Cyprus, the UK, and allied partners in response to current security concerns, noting a growing alignment on defense planning.

“What we’re seeing because of the threat that has been posed, for the first time in a long time, is the Cypriots, the Brits and other allies coming together to work on an integrated plan to defend the capabilities here,” Carns said.

“I think we’ll see a lot of positives. We can understand some of the frictions but the reality is the legal basis of these sovereign territories is non-negotiable,” he added.

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