Britain to keep bases in Cyprus
By Nathan Morley Published on December 16, 2011
BRITAIN will retain both its military bases in Cyprus following the completion of a review of their operations by Lord Ashcroft, its Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said yesterday.
The news will come as a huge relief to the 1,500 locally employed civilians that work on the bases and leaves Cyprus as the only significant accompanied military posting outside the United Kingdom.
In a written statement to parliament Hammond confirmed Britain's "enduring commitment" to the bases, saying they had proved their worth during air operations in Libya and as a logistic hub for activities in Afghanistan.
"The sovereign base areas are in a region of geo-political importance and high priority for the United Kingdom's long-term national security interests,” he added.
Planes from RAF Akrotiri played a key role in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, while EC10 tankers provided refuelling capabilities during the conflict.
Lord Ashcroft, the Conservative party donor, was appointed a government adviser on UK military bases in Cyprus in May in spite of serious reservations being raised by Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister.
Ashcroft conducted his first visit to the island to gauge opinion from military officers in July and is understood to have made several additional trips to Akrotiri since then.
The bases will also play a role in the withdrawal of British military operations from Afghanistan, Hammond added, as Britain brings back its 9,500 troops by the end of 2014.
About 2,500 military personnel and 1,500 civilians work at British installations on the island.
It is widely reported that the bases cost the British taxpayer over €330 million annually to maintain and reductions may be sought in downsizing military personnel and civilian workers.
The RAF base at Akrotiri and the army barracks at Dhekelia cover 254km² or around 3 per cent of the island’s landmass.
Britain has previously offered to return around half the territory if a peace deal is reached.
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