pantelis wrote:Is it not time for the British turkeys to pack up their bases and move on, from Cyprus, Moose?
If you're expecting disagreement from me, you're going to be somewhat disappointed panteli. I'm not a fan of the bases and certainly don't believe that they should remain under British sovereignty, it's an anachronism that they still exist in such a form. My preference is for the area of the bases to be markedly reduced and for them to be granted to Britain on a 50-year leasehold, with safeguards to prevent use by other foreign forces. After the 50 years are up, it's up to the Cypriot government to determine if it wants the territory back, or to renew the lease for any period of time.
The bases will remain for now, that's clear, it's not in anyone's interest to make a big deal out of them because they are a vital cog in the global spy network, so crossing horns with the UK on this also brings in other important players with an interest in them.
The question is therefore not how to get rid of them, but how to make them work in Cyprus' favour too.
P.S. 'Check' is an Americanism... much prefer the classic 'cheque' myself