THE PRESIDENT of Cyprus has called British military bases on the island a “colonial consequence” and demanded frank discussions with the government over their future.

Nikos Christodoulides said today: “When the situation is over in the Middle East we are going to have an open and frank discussion with the British government.”

Referring to the 1960 treaty establishing Cypriot independence which allowed for continued British control of the Akrotiri and Dhekelia military sites, he said: “We have a clear approach with regard to the future of the British bases” but declined to “negotiate publicly.”

“We have more than 10,000 Cypriot citizens within the British bases. We have responsibility for those people.”

A spokesperson for the Cypriot Progressive Party of Working People (Akel), the country’s largest opposition party, called the bases a “colonial anachronism” and demanded they immediately be dismantled.

“They offer no protection to the Cypriot people, rather the contrary,” they told the Morning Star. “RAF Acrotiri has been used to support Israel during the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, and to this day President Christodoulides has said nothing against it.”

“As to the statement made by the President of the Republic of Cyprus in Brussels today, he did not clarify his intentions as to the future of the British bases in Cyprus. No matter his intentions, Akel is and will remain steadfast and unwavering on the dismantling of the bases.

“Of course, the country’s president has repeatedly stated that he supports Cyprus’s accession to Nato, something to which Akel is firmly opposed.

“Akel is fighting to rid the country of all foreign troops—the Turkish occupation army, British bases, the US presence, all foreign troops. And of course we do not want them to remain under the Nato flag.”

A Stop the War Coalition spokesperson told the Star: “Christodoulides is of course right to call for this but it’s far too little, far too late — as is waiting until the end of the Middle East war.

“RAF Akrotiri has already been used by Britain to enable the Gaza genocide and we know is currently being used for so-called ‘defensive’ actions which risk dragging us into further involvement in Trump’s reckless and illegal war on Iran.”

Earlier this month, RAF Akrotiri was the target of a drone attack after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

Despite having not yet been used by US forces, PM Sir Keir Starmer gave permission to the US military to use British bases for “specific defensive operations.”

The two bases account for 98 sq miles (254 sq km) of Cyprus and employ a number of local workers.

The Ministry of Defence said the two bases in Cyrpus “play a crucial role in supporting the safety of British citizens and our allies in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East.”

A spokesperson added: “We have been deploying additional defensive capabilities to Cyprus since January, including radar systems, counter-drone systems, F-35 jets, ground-based air defence, and 400 extra air defence personnel.”