Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Akrotiri and Dhekelia Ακρωτήρι και Δεκέλεια (Greek) | |
---|---|
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | |
ex officio | |
Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 18,195[1] (not ranked) |
Currency | Euro (EUR, €) |
Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
Driving side | left |
Calling code | +357 |
Postal codes in Cyprus UK postcode | 4640 (Akrotiri) 7502 (Dhekelia) BFPO 57 / BF1 2AT (Akrotiri) BFPO 58 / BF1 2AU (Dhekelia) |
Akrotiri and Dhekelia (/ˌækroʊˈtɪəri ənd diˈkeɪliə/), officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia[2] (SBA),[a] is a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus. The areas, which include British military bases and installations formerly part of the Crown colony of Cyprus, were retained by the British under the 1960 treaty of independence signed by the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey and representatives from the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. The territory serves an important role as a station for signals intelligence and provides a vital strategic part of the United Kingdom surveillance-gathering network in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.[3][4]
History
The Sovereign Base Areas were created in 1960 by the London and Zürich Agreements, when Cyprus achieved independence from the British Empire, as recorded by the United Nations in 1960 as treaty 5476.[5] The United Kingdom desired to retain sovereignty over these areas, as this guaranteed the use of UK military bases on 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 the island, 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 training.
In July and August 1961, there were a series of bomb attacks against the pipeline carrying fresh water to the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area.[6] The pipeline was breached by explosions twelve times.[7]
In the early 1970s the U.S. built an over-the-horizon radar named Cobra Shoe, which could observe aeroplane operations and missile tests in southern Russia. This was operated by the RAF on behalf of the U.S. Air Force. This augmented an earlier British system built in the early 1960s named Project Sandra. The U.S. use of the base was hidden from the Cypriot government due to their sensitivities.[8][9]
In 1974, following a military coup by the
In 1974, the British government decided that British forces would be entirely withdrawn from Cyprus, because the sprawling bases had become undefendable in the light of increasing troop demands in Northern Ireland, and because of pressure on the defence budget.[citation needed] The U.S. very strongly objected to any British withdrawal that would result in the United States losing access to GCHQ signals intelligence from Cyprus, since it had lost access to its many signals intelligence bases in Turkey due to its political dispute with Turkey following the invasion of Cyprus. The U.S. agreed to contribute to base costs, and the British cancelled the closure plan. U.S. use of the base increased, such as Lockheed U-2 spy flights on Syria, though flights were generally at night "to avoid local curiosity".[8][16]
Politics
Current status
The territory is composed of two base areas. One is Akrotiri (Greek: Ακρωτήρι pronounced [akroˈtiri]; Turkish: Ağrotur Turkish pronunciation: [ˈaːɾotuɾ]), or the Western Sovereign Base Area (WSBA), which includes two main bases at RAF Akrotiri and Episkopi Cantonment, plus all of Akrotiri Village's district (including Limassol Salt Lake) and parts of eleven other village districts.[17] The other area is Dhekelia Cantonment (Δεκέλεια Greek pronunciation: [ðeˈceʎa]; Dikelya), or the Eastern Sovereign Base Area (ESBA), which includes a base at Ayios Nikolaos plus parts of twelve village districts.[18]
As of late 2023, based units include:
- RAF Akrotiri and Episkopi Cantonment:[19]
- No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF
- No. 84 Squadron RAF
- 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment[20]
- Cyprus Operations Support Unit
- Cyprus Military Working Dog Troop
- Cyprus Joint Police Unit (CJPU)
- Dhekelia Cantonment:
- 1st Battalion, The Rifles[21]
- Joint Service Signal Unit (Cyprus)
Ayios Nikolaos Station, in the ESBA, is an ELINT (electronic intelligence) listening station of the UKUSA Agreement intelligence network.[22] The UKUSA signals intelligence system is sometimes known as "ECHELON".[23]
Governance
The SBAs were retained in 1960 to keep military bases in areas under British sovereignty, along with the rights retained to use other sites in what became the territory of the Republic.[24] That makes them different from the other remaining British Overseas Territories.
The basic philosophy of their administration was declared by the British government in Appendix O to the 1960 treaty with Cyprus, which provided that the British government intended:[5]
- Not to develop the Sovereign Base Areas for other than military purposes.
- Not to set up and administer "colonies".
- Not to create customs posts or other frontier barriers between the Sovereign Base Areas and the Republic.
- Not to set up or permit the establishment of civilian commercial or industrial enterprises except insofar as these are connected with military requirements, and not otherwise to impair the economic, commercial or industrial unity and life of the Island.
- Not to establish commercial or civilian seaports or airports.
- Not to allow new settlement of people in the Sovereign Base Areas other than for temporary purposes.
- Not to expropriate private property within the Sovereign Base Areas except for military purposes on payment of fair compensation.[25][26]
Appendix O also provides that various ancient monuments in the SBAs (in particular the site and remains of Kourion, the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates near Kourion, the Stadium of Curium and the Church and remains of the Holy Monastery of St Nicholas of the Cats) should be administered by the Republic of Cyprus. The Cypriot government issues licences for antiquity excavation in the SBAs subject to British consent, and any movable antiquities found in excavations or otherwise discovered become Cypriot state property.[26]
According to the British Ministry of Defence:
Because the SBAs are primarily required as military bases and not ordinary dependent territories, the Administration reports to the Ministry of Defence in London. It has no formal connection with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or the British High Commission in Nicosia, although there are close informal links with both offices on policy matters.[27]
The territory is administered by an
The areas have their own legal system, distinct from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus. This consists of the laws of the
Reviews
In January 2010, a newspaper article appeared in the British press claiming that as a result of budgetary constraints arising from the Great Recession, the British Ministry of Defence drew up controversial plans to withdraw the United Kingdom's 3,000 strong garrison and end the use of Cyprus as a staging point for ground forces.[30] The Labour government, under whom the proposal appeared, was replaced by the Cameron–Clegg coalition whose defence review did not mention the issue.
On 15 December 2012 in a written statement to the
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 ... Our military personnel, United Kingdom civilians and locally employed personnel in the Sovereign Base Areas make a major contribution to the national security of the United Kingdom and will continue to do so in the future.[31]
Dispute and controversies
The
The UK government does not recognise Cypriot claims that the UK's sovereignty in the areas is limited.[34]
In July 2001, protests were held at the bases by local Cypriots, unhappy with British plans to construct radio masts at the bases as part of an upgrade of British military communication posts around the world. Locals claimed the masts would endanger local lives and cause cancer, as well as have a negative effect on wildlife in the area. The British and Cypriot governments jointly commissioned health research from the University of Bristol and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus, and that research project reported in 2005 that there was no evidence of health problems being caused by electromagnetic fields from the antennas.[35] The Sovereign Base Areas Administration has carried out assessments and surveys into the effects on wildlife, which have fed into an "Akrotiri Peninsula Environmental Management Plan", published in September 2012.[36]
In 2004, the UK offered to cede 117 square kilometres (45 sq mi) of farmland as part of the rejected
On 29 August 2013, during the
Travel documents
There is normally no passport check at the border from Akrotiri or Dhekelia to Cyprus.[citation needed] Possession of a passport, or an EU-compliant national identity card is generally needed in Cyprus. A passport is required to travel between Cyprus/SBAs and Northern Cyprus. Issues concerning the validity of car insurance and customs are specified by SBAs' administration.[39]
Brexit implications
Under Article 2(1) of the Protocol, the SBAs are partially part of the
The Brexit withdrawal agreement has a protocol on the SBAs, with provisions essentially maintaining their previous status.[42][43]
Geography
Akrotiri and Dhekelia cover 3% of the land area of Cyprus, a total of 254 km2 (98 sq mi) (split 123 km2 (47 sq mi) (48.5%) at Akrotiri and 131 km2 (51 sq mi) (51.5%) at Dhekelia). 60% of the land is privately owned as freeholds by Cypriot citizens; the other 40% is controlled by the Ministry of Defence as Crown leasehold land.[44][45] In January 2014, an agreement between the Cypriot and UK governments was signed, ensuring that residents and property owners in the British Bases will enjoy equal rights for the development of property.[46] In addition to Akrotiri and Dhekelia, the Treaty of Establishment also provided for the continued use by the British Ministry of Defence and the British Armed Forces of certain facilities within the Republic of Cyprus, known as Retained Sites.
Akrotiri is located in the south of the island, near the city of Limassol (or Lemesos). Dhekelia is in the southeast, near Larnaca. Both areas include military bases, as well as farmland and some residential land. Akrotiri is surrounded by territory controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, but Dhekelia also borders on the United Nations (UN) buffer zone and the area controlled by the Turkish forces.
Territorial waters of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) are claimed, and the right according to the laws of the UN to extend the claim of up to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) is reserved.[47]
Wildlife and ecology
Cyprus is an important migration flyway for birds between Africa and Europe and millions of birds are killed yearly as they migrate over the island. To protect resident and migratory birds, BirdLife Cyprus and the RSPB survey areas of illegal trapping. More than 150 species of birds, over half of conservation concern, have been trapped in nets, or on limesticks, and it is estimated that organised crime gangs earn over 15 million Euros yearly. The dead birds are sold to provide the main ingredient for ambelopoulia — an illegal delicacy — in the Republic of Cyprus. The 2015 survey estimated a maximum 19 km (12 mi) of mist nets across both the Republic and the British Territories, and more than 5,300 limesticks removed, mainly in the Republic. It is estimated that over 2 million birds were killed in 2015 including over 800,00—0 on British Territories.[48][49] Employing measures such as covert camera surveillance (including a drone), exclusion zones and impounding vehicles, trapping activity at Dhekelia fell by 77.5%. In 2016 an estimated 800,000 birds were killed at Dhekelia and in the following year trapping activity fell by 77.5% and bird deaths to an estimated 180,000.[50]
The Episkopi Cliffs
The beaches in the British Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) are important nesting sites for the endangered green Chelonia mydas and loggerhead Caretta caretta turtles. The SBA Environment Department, assisted by a large volunteer effort, has monitored turtle nesting success on SBA beaches since 1990. Disturbance to nesting turtles is an issue in some areas due to activities such as camping, driving on beaches and illegal fishing. Sea turtles in Cyprus are protected as priority species under the Protection and Management of Nature and Wildlife Ordinance (implementing the provisions of the Habitats Directive), enacted in 2007.[52]
In December 2015, five
Demographics
When the areas were being established, the boundaries were deliberately drawn to avoid centres of population. Approximately 18,195 people live in the areas. About 11,000 native Cypriots work in the areas themselves, or on farmland within the boundaries of the areas. The British military and their families make up the rest of the population.[1]
Persons related to the territory may in theory be eligible to claim the British Overseas Territories citizenship (BOTC status) through a personal connection to the areas (i.e., birth on the territory before 1983, or born after 1983 to a parent who was born on the territory before 1983). But unlike most other British Overseas Territories, there is no provision in the 2002 amendment of the British Nationality Act 1981 by which British citizenship (with the right of abode in the United Kingdom) can either be claimed through automatic entitlement or be applied for by means of registration, from or through a sole personal connection to the Base Areas (in comparison, the 2002 Act bestowed British citizenship on all other BOTCs). Hence, non-British and non-military personnel with the connection to the territory cannot live and work in the UK and must use their Cypriot passports to apply for visas to the UK.
Under the terms of the 1960 agreement with Cyprus establishing the Sovereign Base Areas, the United Kingdom is committed not to use the areas for civilian purposes. This was stated in 2002 as the primary reason for the exclusion of the areas from the scope of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002.[citation needed] As of 2010[update], around 7,195 service personnel of British Forces Cyprus are based at Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
Education
Service Children's Education oversees education for children of personnel and MoD employees. The Eastern Sovereign Base Area is served by Dhekelia Primary School and Ayios Nikolaos Primary School, which are feeders for King Richard School. The Western Sovereign Base Area is served by Episkopi Primary School and Akrotiri Primary School, which are feeders for St. John's School.
Economy
No economic statistics are gathered for Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The main economic activities are the provision of services to the military, as well as limited agriculture. When the territory under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus switched currencies from the Cypriot pound to the euro on 1 January 2008, Akrotiri and Dhekelia followed suit making the Sovereign Base Areas the only territory under British sovereignty to officially use the euro.[55]
Transport
Cypriot motorways pass through both areas. There is no public airport within the areas, but the RAF Akrotiri airbase is located there, which has a runway suitable for long-distance flights, but is not used for public flights.
Communications
The Base Areas form part of the Republic of Cyprus
Postal services are provided by the British Forces Post Office, with mail to Akrotiri being addressed to BFPO 57[58] and mail to Dhekelia and Ayios Nikolaos being addressed to BFPO 58.[59] Cyprus Postal Services provides postal service for civilian homes and businesses within the Base Areas, then using Cypriot postal codes and "Cyprus" as country on letters from abroad.
The bases are issued different
Culture
Media
BFBS Radio 1 and 2 are broadcast on FM and can be widely received across Cyprus. BFBS Television is now only available to viewers via satellite, having been confined to the SBAs or encrypted in 1997 for copyright reasons,[62] before BFBS switched off its analogue transmitters in 2009.[63] The British East Mediterranean Relay Station was situated locally.
Sport
Football clubs in the territory, such as
The Commander British Forces Cyprus Sporting Competition (CBF Cup), a multi-sport competition between teams representing bases and resident British infantry battalions, is held annually.[67]
See also
- Index of Akrotiri and Dhekelia-related articles
- List of British Army installations
- List of British overseas territories
- Murder of Louise Jensen
- Sovereign Base Areas Customs
- United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus
- Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom
Notes
References
- ^ a b "Akrotiri". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "British Nationality Act 1981 – SCHEDULE 6 British Overseas Territories". UK Government. September 2016.
- ^ "The World's Five Military Empires". Big Think. 10 July 2017.
- ^ Wald, Charles (4 December 2019). "Pull US Troops Out of Turkey: Former EUCOM Deputy". Breaking Defense. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Treaty concerning the Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus" (PDF). United Nations. 16 August 1960. Treaty series 1960 No. 5476. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Cyprus Base Pipe Again Broken." Times [London, England] 2 August 1961: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 December 2017
- ^ OUR CORRESPONDENT. "Another Attack On Cyprus Pipeline." Times [London, England] 8 August 1961: 6. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 December 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-007312-665.
- S2CID 143721739. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "PRIO". prio-cyprus-displacement.net. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ See UN photos of the refugee tents, and an account of the camp on the RAF Akrotiri website
- ^ "PRIO". prio-cyprus-displacement.net. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ See PRIO Centre report on Trachoni, and figures for housing units on Trachoni Village website Archived 13 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ See PRIO Centre report on Kolossi,
- ^ See Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Motorway and Speed Limits) Order 2008 for grid refs and street names for Trachoni, Kolossi and Achna Forest refugee settlements
- ^ Hazou, Elias (11 October 2018). "Anastasiades stays mum on 'secret' US base (Updated: adds former spy chief)". Cyprus Mail. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018.
- ^ See map at Akrotiri Area Office page on SBA Administration website
- ^ See map at Dhekelia Area Office page on SBA Administration website
- ^ "RAF Akrotiri | Royal Air Force". 26 October 2023.
- ^ "1st Battalion - The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment". The Duke Of Lancaster's Regimental Association. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "The Rifles parade through Chepstow ahead of two-year deployment in Cyprus". Forces Network. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ Jeffrey Richelson & Desmond Ball, The Ties the Bind: Intelligence Cooperation between the UKUSA Countries, Unwin Hyman, Boston/London and others, 1990, p.194 note 145.
- ^ Schmid, Gerhard (11 July 2001). "On the existence of a global system for the interception of private and commercial communications (ECHELON interception system), (2001/2098(INI))" (pdf – 194 pages). European Parliament: Temporary Committee on the ECHELON Interception System. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ "Treaty concerning the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, with annexes and selected exchanges of notes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ^ "SBAA website". sbaadministration.org. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- ^ a b Treaty of Establishment, 1960, p.111-112, p.116
- ^ "SBAA website". sbaadministration.org. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- ^ "New British Forces Cyprus commander sworn-in". Financial Mirror. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ The SBA Administration. "Sovereign Base Area – Court". sbaadministration.org. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ Oliver, Jonathan; Smith, Michael (24 January 2010). "Officer Training Corps faces the axe". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- ^ "Cyprus" (PDF), UK Parliamentary Statement, London, 15 December 2012, retrieved 24 March 2013
- ^ "008.05.1347 Έκθεση κοινοβουλευτικής επιτροπής". www2.parliament.cy. Parliament of Ctorus. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ "Situation of the inhabitants of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia". www.assembly.coe.int. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-215-52150-7. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ "Bristol University website" (PDF). electric-fields.bris.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- ^ "SBAA website" (PDF). sbaadministration.org. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- ^ "Cyprus placed in the cross hairs of Syria mess". cyprus-mail.com. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Cyprus will not play major role in any Syria strikes". cyprus-mail.com. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ SBA Customs and Immigration Travelling to Northern Cyprus
- ^ "Brexit's obscure impacts: the borders of Cyprus". Eyes on Europe. April 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ "Brexit: A view from Cyprus". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ "INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES" (PDF). eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 3 February 2020. page 136
- ^ Shkurko, Jonathan (31 January 2020). "Foreign, education ministries reassure Cypriots over Brexit". Cyprus Mail.
- ^ "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 08 Oct 2013 (pt 0001)". parliament.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Cyprus". theyworkforyou.com. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "'Historic' bases deal to boost development". cyprus-mail.com. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Cyprus". Hansard. Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ "RSPB Mass killing continues on British military base in Cyprus". BirdGuides. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ "Hundreds of thousands of birds still being illegally killed on British military base in Cyprus but annual increase halted". RSPB. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ "Good news from Cyprus". Nature's Home. RSPB. Summer 2018. p. 40.
- ISBN 9781472977281.
- ^ Phoebe Carter. "Sanctuary 40th anniversary edition: Around the regions – Cyprus Sovereign Base" (PDF). Sanctuary – The Ministry of Defence Sustainability Magazine, no.44, page 98. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ "Five SACs designated in the British SBAs in Cyprus". BirdLife Cyprus. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions on the designation of Special Areas of Conservation within the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia" (PDF). SBA Administration. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ Theodoulou, Michael. (27 December 2007). Euro reaches field that is for ever England, The Times. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
- ^ "British forces overseas posting: Dhekelia, Cyprus". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "British Forces overseas posting: RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "BFPO Indicator List BFPO Static Postcodes" (PDF). UK Government. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ "BFPO INDICATOR LIST STATIC BRITISH FORCES POST OFFICES" (PDF).
- ^ Amateur Radio, Volume 59, Issues 1–6 "Steve Bowden, ZC4BX, recently returned to the UK after three years on Cyprus, where he initiated and managed the ZC4 award."
- ^ "Lincolnshire Poacher". Numbers and Oddities. Retrieved 25 May 2008.[self-published source]
- ^ BFBS pulls the plug on Larnaca viewers, Cyprus Mail 10 May 1998
- ^ Screens go blank as BFBS TV switches off transmitters., Cyprus Mail, 8 January 2009
- ^ "Omonia denied use of Achna Forest stadium by British bases". Cyprus Mail. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Πρωταθλήτρια ΣΤΟΚ η ΑΠΕΑ Ακρωτηρίου!" [APEA Akrotiri is STOCK champion!]. Kerkida.net. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "Cyprus Services Football League". Royal Air Force FA. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Akrotiri Station Takes CBF Cup As Forces Athletes Do Battle In Cyprus". Forces Network. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
Further reading
- Fouskas, Vassilis K. (2003). Zones of Conflict: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Balkans and the Greater Middle East. Pluto Press. pp. 93, 111. ISBN 0-7453-2030-9.
External links
- Wikimedia Atlas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
- Sovereign Base Areas Administration web-pages
- Constitution
- BBC News – "UK offers to cede Cyprus land"
- BBC News – "Cyprus protesters clash at UK base"
- Cyprus Mail, Nathan Morley – "Mystery of Dhekelia Cemetery"
- Cyprus Mail, Nathan Morley – "Dhekelia at 60"
- Akrotiri. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
- Dhekelia. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
- The Princess Mary's Hospital RAF Akrotiri
- Cyprus Independence Agreement – Hansard Official UK Parliament Record
- James Rogers and Luis Simón. The Status and Location of the Military Installations of the Member States of the European Union and Their Potential Role for the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Brussels: European Parliament, 2009. 25 pp.