Cyprus may seek to review the status of British bases based on modern international law. This was the conclusion reached on June 29 by the participants of a discussion organized by the Cyprus Bar Association, which resulted in an official resolution.
We are talking about Akrotiri and Dhekelia, two British sovereign territories in southern Cyprus with a total area of about 254 square kilometers. They remained under British control after Cyprus gained independence in 1960. Today, there are active British military bases there, and the issue of their status periodically becomes the subject of political and legal disputes in Cyprus as one of the legacies of the colonial past.
What is the board calling for?
According to the Cyprus Bar Association, the country should be ready for any future negotiations on British bases, having a clear legal position and the necessary legal framework. The board emphasizes that Cyprus should participate in such negotiations as a sovereign and equal state. The adopted resolution reflects the official position of the board and, according to its authors, should contribute to a public discussion about the future of British bases. The discussion was attended by scientists, lawyers and government representatives who reviewed the legal status and prospects of the British territories on the island.
What is the government trying to achieve?
Nicholas Ioannidis, Deputy Minister for Migration, said that the authorities want to conduct a structured dialogue on British bases within the framework of international law. According to him, there are both historical and legal grounds for this. President of the Cyprus Bar Association Michalis Vorkas added that the memory of the island’s history and the sacrifices of the Cypriot people requires further upholding the rights of the Republic of Cyprus in accordance with international law and the principles of justice.
The dispute concerns the status of British bases
According to the participants in the discussion, the issue affects several areas of international law at once: international treaties, decolonization, the right of peoples to self-determination and modern norms of international law. The term “sovereign bases” was discussed separately. The participants believe that the UK uses these territories only for military purposes and has administrative rather than full-fledged sovereign powers there. In their opinion, this casts doubt on the compliance of the current status of the bases with modern international law.
The participants also stated that the revision of the 1960 Founding Treaty, in their opinion, does not threaten the sovereignty and international status of the Republic of Cyprus. They believe that Greece and Turkey are not obligated to participate in negotiations on the future of British bases. In addition, the participants expressed the opinion that the 1960 agreements did not reflect the free will of the Cypriot people and therefore raise questions from the point of view of the right to self-determination. On this basis, they believe that the separation of the territories of the British bases has become an unfinished part of the process of decolonization of Cyprus.
https://lenta.cy/kiprskaja-kollegija-advokatov-prizvala-peresmotret-status-britanskih-baz/
