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Hi Aidan.

I think we are running around in a circle with the British bases issue. May I suggest that my final answer on that subject consist of the latest opinion survey conducted on the island where the majority Greek Cypriot population agree that the bases are disputed. We do have a problem with them embedded in the Cyprus republic, and that their use has long expired. We also believe that Turkey poses no real threat as it would be very stupied to act like Iran on Cypriot sole in this day and age, further cementing the removal of the British bases, and that Turkey's EU wish has placed the Cyprus government in a very unique advantagous situation in front of Turkey.

I believe that the British bases are a combination of secret British dealings, and are very symbolic only for the British - nothing more. And, in real terms, the two British bases in an all out war with Iran (as I believe you may have been suggesting) would probably pose Cyprus under threat rather than assist its foreign policy to the OIC and other muslim nations. Although the Cyprus government may no presently see eye-to-eye with Iran due to obvious reason, it certainly respects the wishes of the OIC and works very well with all of the nations that surround it.

Also, I honestly believe that the British bases can not be a part of a new Cyprus unified state - especially a bi-communal structure sensitive on land allocation and "Military" ventures of others. Please, let's be realistic here! British rights under the 1959 agreements must also be ammended under a new unification agreement, and I do not see Britain being able to finally convince the Cypriots otherwise.

Andros,Turkey IS still a threat to Cyprus' security.It has been proven when the scummy Turks sent some of their soldiers into northern Iraq recently.

The answer is for the British to pay the Cypriot Government the back rent owing on the Sovereign Base Areas,plus actually BUY the territory that the S.B.A.s are located on.

Cyprus' best friend IS Great Britain,NOT Greece nor Turkey!

Aidan.

BC Numismatics wrote:Andros,Turkey IS still a threat to Cyprus' security.It has been proven when the scummy Turks sent some of their soldiers into northern Iraq recently.

The answer is for the British to pay the Cypriot Government the back rent owing on the Sovereign Base Areas,plus actually BUY the territory that the S.B.A.s are located on.

Cyprus' best friend IS Great Britain,NOT Greece nor Turkey!

Aidan.

Great Britain has a pro-Turkey policy, the Cypriots know this very well and so does their government, Papadopoulos admitted it recently and before you reply that Papadopoulos is gone, Christofias is even more anti-British than him

AlexISS,that's a load of bull! Great Britain has been one of those who has condemned Turkey's illegal occupation of northern Cyprus in both the British Commonwealth & the United Nations.

It angers me that the morally bankrupt politicians over here in New Zealand insist on maintaining relations with racist regimes such as Iran & Turkey!

Aidan.

BC Numismatics wrote:AlexISS,that's a load of bull! Great Britain has been one of those who has condemned Turkey's illegal occupation of northern Cyprus in both the British Commonwealth & the United Nations.

As all other nations except Turkey have done, that does NOT make the UK an ally of Cyprus!!! You may consider what I posted a load of bull but, like it or not, that's the opinion of Cypriots and their government, and I'm sure they know better than a foreigner who came to this forum to tell them who Cyprus belongs to and who its friends are.

This is one reason why Britain will not negotiate on anything regarding the Sovreign bases.
They are an integral part of combating what Britain considers the greater evil in the world,ie: the middle east.
Until the world is holding hands and kissing each other on a daily basis,the bases are there to stay,friendship or not.
Not my views,but those of the head of the British armed forces.

Purdey,the only regimes in the Middle East that are a serious threat are Iran,Turkey,& Syria.Israel has not threatened any country outside the Middle East,even though it does have a terrible human rights record.

The Sovereign Base Areas are as strategically important as the British military base in Gibraltar is.Malta was also of major strategic importance to the British,as it was a halfway transit point between both Gibraltar & Cyprus.

Aidan.

Aidan Said:

This is one reason why Britain will not negotiate on anything regarding the Sovreign bases.
They are an integral part of combating what Britain considers the greater evil in the world,ie: the middle east.
Until the world is holding hands and kissing each other on a daily basis,the bases are there to stay,friendship or not.
Not my views,but those of the head of the British armed forces.

You see Aidan, this is the problem us Greek Cypriots are now having to deal with with the Turkish/Turkish Cypriots. They are also using similar excuses in order to stage their beliefs and reasoning as to why they must have their seperate Turkish area in Cyprus, be it a Constituent State or the so-called TRNC. Next they'll also be saying that the North is now a Turkish "Sovereign" area, too.

With the dilema and arguement the British present to us regarding the two Military bases, the Turks are also emphasizing their so-called Guarantor rights as equal Partners of the 1960 Constitution, thus also demanding a sovereign type of area for themselves.

It is hard to battle the reason for a completely unified state in Cyprus when the Turks say that they can not remain indifferent. I personally see no future in Cyprus with two large British bases stationed there, regardless of what was signed in 1960 or whether the two areas are sovereign or not - unless of course the British believe that a war is a strong possibility and that they need to be there in case!

Andros wrote:Aidan Said:

This is one reason why Britain will not negotiate on anything regarding the Sovreign bases.
They are an integral part of combating what Britain considers the greater evil in the world,ie: the middle east.
Until the world is holding hands and kissing each other on a daily basis,the bases are there to stay,friendship or not.
Not my views,but those of the head of the British armed forces.

You see Aidan, this is the problem us Greek Cypriots are now having to deal with with the Turkish/Turkish Cypriots. They are also using similar excuses in order to stage their beliefs and reasoning as to why they must have their seperate Turkish area in Cyprus, be it a Constituent State or the so-called TRNC. Next they'll also be saying that the North is now a Turkish "Sovereign" area, too.

With the dilema and arguement the British present to us regarding the two Military bases, the Turks are also emphasizing their so-called Guarantor rights as equal Partners of the 1960 Constitution, thus also demanding a sovereign type of area for themselves.

It is hard to battle the reason for a completely unified state in Cyprus when the Turks say that they can not remain indifferent. I personally see no future in Cyprus with two large British bases stationed there, regardless of what was signed in 1960 or whether the two areas are sovereign or not - unless of course the British believe that a war is a strong possibility and that they need to be there in case!

Andros,you have quoted Purdey's posting,not mine.Turkey IS NOT a guarantor power,but an illegal occupying power!

Has Great Britain engaged in genocide against the Cypriot people & imported settlers into Cyprus? I don't think so!

Surely,there were things that were far from perfect under British rule,but the British were actually enlightened rulers.They were,after all,the first colonial power to stamp out the barbarism called slavery in their colonies.

If you want to know the basis for the legality of the Sovereign Base Areas,go & read the text of the Cyprus Independence Agreement of 1959,which was signed by Archbishop Makarios III,who became the first President of Cyprus in 1960.

Aidan.

Hi Aidan,

you said:

If you want to know the basis for the legality of the Sovereign Base Areas,go & read the text of the Cyprus Independence Agreement of 1959,which was signed by Archbishop Makarios III,who became the first President of Cyprus in 1960.

With regards to the above - I was a young lad when this agreement was signed and can distinctively remember President Makarios' anger with certain parts of the agreement, where he almost backed out in the last minute!

Sorry for the mix up in using the wrong quote, my old age must be getting to me.

However, in answer to your last posting, I would like to amplify what the Greek Cypriot politicians and political groups agree behind closed doors on the issue of the British bases -

Basically, those people above, who are also now in active government if (I may add), believe that Britain's (sneaky) move to forcefully include their two "Sovereign" bases in the 1959 agreement is seen as being compared to lets say the Ottoman Turks forcefully including two areas in Greece before ending their Ottoman rule. I know this may sound far fetched, but the issue of the British Bases is a very serious issue for the Greek Cypriots. Also, British rule in Cyprus may be viewed by the British as a time of Euphoria and an educational experience, but us Greek Cypriots believe otherwise.

Although we are at some disagreement Aidan regarding the British Bases in Cyprus, I would like to say that I do enjoy our dialogue and would like to continue with expressing our opinions in a civilised way - thanks for that. It really kills a conversation when the other person start getting too passionate about a subject and suddenly forgets that we are all here to express our opinions and to receive logical feedback, and some analysis along the way.

Cheers mate.
Andros