Cyprus-Forum.com

[georgios100]

My fellow Cypriots,

The purpose of this post is to take action against the 2 sovereign British military bases located in Cyprus.
The removal of the bases is of upmost importance to both communities and long overdue.

Therefore I propose;

An open invitation to all my Cypriot comrades, Greek or Turkish speaking and all other interested parties currently residing in Cyprus. Citizens of RoC and permanent residents are welcome to join in. Imperative participation extended to our diaspora Cypriots all over the world. I encourage all members to ask friends & relatives to join CF, strengthening the effort. Members of other Cypriot/non Cypriot forums are welcomed to embrace this effort.
At first, I would like the admin to establish a poll for CF members to vote for the removal of the bases. Pending the results of the poll, we shall proceed to the next steps, to be announced after the polling is completed.
There are unsolved issues between us but this common issue should bring us together as one people to fight till the target is successfully reached. Let’s sideline all our differences and use the power of the internet to put our message across. Our weapons are right in front of us. The keyboards. I am confident, Cyprus Forum is the right tool for this project.
Have no illusions. This is going to be a long battle. Are you in?
Georgios100

[apc2010]

What about the american base in the north??

[Tim Drayton]

I am a British permanent resident of Cyprus and also an opponent of the British bases. However, I think that this campaign is premature. The first thing that is needed is to overcome the division of the island. Once reunification has been achieved, then the sights can be turned on removing this anachronistic legacy of imperialism.

[georgios100]

I am a British permanent resident of Cyprus and also an opponent of the British bases. However, I think that this campaign is premature. The first thing that is needed is to overcome the division of the island. Once reunification has been achieved, then the sights can be turned on removing this anachronistic legacy of imperialism.

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your positive vote. This campaign is all about unification. Both communities must join forces to achieve the goal. It's about time to come together and face the imperialist as one. The solution may come earlier that this effort but we must stipulate the removal of the bases into the pending solution, therefore not considered premature, my humble opinion.

The American base in the north should be included in this campaign.

Georgios

[YFred]

What about the american base in the north??

Americanism is like cancer. There is no cure from it. Either you live with it or you die. Take your pick. The only country in the world to survive removal of Americanism from their land is Vietnam and they paid a very heavy price for it. Now where is GR when you need him. What's the acceptable casualty figures today then?

[georgios100]

What about the american base in the north??

Americanism is like cancer. There is no cure from it. Either you live with it or you die. Take your pick. The only country in the world to survive removal of Americanism from their land is Vietnam and they paid a very heavy price for it. Now where is GR when you need him. What's the acceptable casualty figures today then?

Hey YFred,

Since you are a mod you could get the poll going. Let's get the ball rolling... a lot of work ahead of us.

Georgios100

[EricSeans]

I'm a Scot who served with the British forces and am also opposed to the "Guantanamo" situation of having these bases in Cyprus. One weapon the Brits use whenever they're under pressure to get their nuclear submarines and weapons out of Scotland is to claim thousands of local people employed on the bases would lose their jobs and livelihoods. However, many Scots argue that the bases could carry on as conventional military depots, especially in a free Scotland with its own defence forces. So how many Cypriots work on the SBAs and would the NG or some other body take them over? And what if Cyprus is demilitarised?

[DT.]

What about the american base in the north??

Americanism is like cancer. There is no cure from it. Either you live with it or you die. Take your pick. The only country in the world to survive removal of Americanism from their land is Vietnam and they paid a very heavy price for it. Now where is GR when you need him. What's the acceptable casualty figures today then?

Hey YFred,

Since you are a mod you could get the poll going. Let's get the ball rolling... a lot of work ahead of us.

Georgios100

who told you he's a mod?

[georgios100]

Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. The bases were retained by the UK following the transition of Cyprus' status from a colony in the British Empire to an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. The United Kingdom retained the bases arising from the strategic location of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Bases are split into Akrotiri (Greek: Ακρωτήρι; Turkish: Agrotur, along with Episkopi Garrison, is part of an area known as the Western Sovereign Base Area or WSBA) and Dhekelia (Greek: Δεκέλεια; Turkish: Dikelya, along with Ayios Nikolaos, is part of the Eastern Sovereign Base Area or ESBA.)

History
The Sovereign Base Areas were created in 1960 by the Treaty of Establishment, when Cyprus, a colony within the British Empire, was granted independence. The United Kingdom wished to retain sovereignty over these areas, as this guaranteed the use of UK military bases in Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri, and a garrison of the British Army. The importance of the Bases to the British is based on the strategic location of Cyprus, at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, close to the Suez Canal and the Middle East; the ability to use the RAF base as staging post for military aircraft; and for general training purposes.

In 1974, Turkey invaded the North of Cyprus, leading to the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. However, this did not affect the status of the Bases, and the British were not involved in the fighting. Greek-Cypriots fleeing from the Turks were permitted to travel through the Dhekelia base, and were given humanitarian aid. The Turkish advance halted when it reached the edge of the base area, rather than risk war with Britain. The Ayia Napa area was thus preserved in Greek hands.

Cyprus has occasionally demanded the return of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, citing that the bases take up a large amount of territory that could be used for civilian development. For 4 years after Cypriot independence in 1960, the British government paid the Republic of Cyprus rent for the bases. After the intercommunal conflict of 1963-64 they stopped, claiming there was no guarantee that both communities would benefit equally from that money. The Cypriot government is still claiming money for the years from 1964 to now. Estimates for this range from several hundred thousand to over one billion Euros.

In July 2001, violent protests were held at the Bases by local Cypriots, angry at British plans to construct radio masts at the bases, as part of an upgrade of British military communication posts around the world. Locals had claimed the masts would endanger local lives and cause cancer, as well as have a negative impact on wildlife in the area. The British government denied these claims.

The UK has shown no intention of surrendering the Bases, although it has offered to surrender 45 square miles of farmland as part of the rejected Annan Plan for Cyprus. Today, around 3,000 troops of British Forces Cyprus are based at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Ayios Nikolaos, in the ESBA, is a listening station of the intelligence network ECHELON.

[georgios100]

I'm a Scot who served with the British forces and am also opposed to the "Guantanamo" situation of having these bases in Cyprus. One weapon the Brits use whenever they're under pressure to get their nuclear submarines and weapons out of Scotland is to claim thousands of local people employed on the bases would lose their jobs and livelihoods. However, many Scots argue that the bases could carry on as conventional military depots, especially in a free Scotland with its own defence forces. So how many Cypriots work on the SBAs and would the NG or some other body take them over? And what if Cyprus is demilitarised?

There is only a few hundred Cypriot workers in the bases.
The Acrotiri base would be an excellent environmental area, a national park with beautiful wetlands... all sorts of uses are available.

Georgios100