NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Greek Cypriot government, angered by London’s latest protocol with Turkey, threatened to close British bases on Cyprus that form a vital link for the U.S. forces in Iraq.
Signed Tuesday in London, the protocol is interpreted here as an effort to reduce the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots in the northern part of the island, which the Greek side considers occupied territory.
Yesterday, Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis said his government views the agreement as an attempt “to promote partition” of the island.
Greece, Cyprus’s closest ally, also criticized the document.
Peter Millett, Britain’s ambassador in Cyprus, denied any changes in Britain’s policy on Cyprus as a result of the British-Turkish Strategic Partnership agreement, signed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Gordon Brown, his British counterpart.
“We do not and will not recognize a separate entity in the northern part of Cyprus,” he declared. “Nor does anything in the document reflect an attempt to upgrade the status of the north or promote partition.”
But the Greek side pointed to a phrase in the protocol proposing that Britain establish “high-level contacts with the Turkish Cypriot authorities ” and “upholds the right to representation of the Turkish Cypriots in the European Parliament.”
Cyprus became a full member of the European Union on May 1, 2004, but the bloc’s acceptance of the Turkish-Cypriot territory was suspended until a reunification agreement. Cyprus is a former British colony that won independence in 1960. Britain, Greece and Turkey are guarantor powers of the island’s independence.
Greek Cypriot government spokesman Vassilis Palmas said Britain has not fulfilled its obligations as a guarantor power “while it maintained bases and facilities in Cyprus. … It should be remembered that the military bases are conditioned on the rule of reciprocity.”
The foreign minister went further in his criticism.
“When you have two guarantor powers, Turkey and the United Kingdom, taking such a stand … you have to appreciate that we are, and we have to be, in a process of re-evaluating this relationship. This is a very serious issue.” Reuters news agency quoted Mr. Marcoullis as saying.
The 1960 independence agreement allows Britain to maintain the military bases on the island. The installations consist of an army base at Dhekelia, a major Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri and the command for the Middle East at Episkopi — all three near the island’s southern shore.
During two wars against Iraq, U.S. aircraft used air and ground facilities at the bases. During the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, thousands of refugees — both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot — camped for weeks at the Dhekelia base.
In addition to guaranteeing Britain’s military presence in Cyprus, the independence agreement includes a little-publicized clause on a number of “retained areas” covering water sources, electric plants and other points of strategic interest.
When he served in parliament, Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos several times called for the closure of the bases as incompatible with the independence of Cyprus.
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