By Dr Konstantinos Yiallourides
On 2 March 2026, an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle struck the British military Bases in Cyprus and caused what were described as “limited damages”. The incident was initially announced by the British Bases themselves and later by British media outlets, which even speculated about a possible missile attack on Cypriot territory. These reports prompted an official statement from the government of the Republic of Cyprus. The intense publicity that followed caused international concern and led to flight cancellations, with consequent damage to the Cypriot economy.
Only a few hours before the incident, the British government had announced, without prior consultation or coordination with Nicosia, that it had decided to allow the use of the British Bases in Cyprus to support the American attack against Iran.
The Republic of Cyprus, through its spokesperson, expressed dissatisfaction with the way the British Bases handled the matter and emphasised that “Cyprus has not participated in military operations and will not participate in any way”, stressing that it consistently seeks to play a humanitarian role and to be “part of the solution and never part of the problem”.
The Republic of Cyprus neither wishes nor is able to become involved in military conflicts. This is both a matter of national interest and an expression of sovereign national will.
The incident involving the unmanned aircraft brings to the forefront fundamental questions regarding the continued British presence and the legal status of the British Bases in Cyprus.
At the time of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus, Britain imposed the retention of part of the former colonial territory in the form of military bases. In other words, Cyprus’ sovereignty would be recognised only on the condition that British demands for military bases were satisfied. Two sovereign Base Areas were created on Cypriot territory, at Akrotiri and Dhekelia, covering approximately 254 square kilometres, nearly 3% of the island’s total area.
The separation of these areas from Cyprus’ sovereignty at the time of the establishment of the Republic allowed the United Kingdom to retain territory of particular geostrategic importance for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Under the 1960 Treaty of Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, the United Kingdom provided financial support to Cyprus for the use of military facilities and infrastructure linked to the operation of the Bases. This arrangement remained in force until 1965, with payments amounting to £12 million.
Since then, the United Kingdom has refused to make any further payments.
A relevant example is the case of the Chagos Islands, where the United Kingdom also maintains military bases following their separation from the former colony of Mauritius. In its advisory opinion of 25 February 2019, the International Court of Justice held that the separation of the Chagos Islands from Mauritius violated the latter’s right to self-determination and that the process of decolonisation was not lawfully completed. Consequently, the continued administration of Chagos by the United Kingdom, including the military base at Diego Garcia, constitutes an ongoing unlawful international act.
Within this framework, the United Kingdom agreed to provide significant financial payments to Mauritius in relation to the continued military arrangements.
The former Attorney General of the Republic of Cyprus, Costas Clerides, stated that the Chagos case provides a “legal tool” for the Republic of Cyprus, although no further action has been taken.
No state wishes to be a colony. Yet the recent incident involving the attack on Cyprus highlights that the British government continues to treat Cyprus as if it were still under British colonial administration.
The decisions of the British government now appear to exceed the limits of the “sovereign” British Bases as defined by the Treaty of Establishment and to arbitrarily redefine matters related to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, potentially placing the entire island at risk.
The use of the Bases for military operations against Iran, without even raising the issue of consent or consultation with the Cypriot government, creates a serious risk of Cyprus becoming involved in an armed conflict, despite the explicit policy of the Republic of Cyprus not to participate “in any way”.
Intervention in democracy
As a result, the United Kingdom, as one of the three guarantor powers, appears to be using its Bases in Cyprus in a way that materially interferes with the Republic of Cyprus’ right to shape and exercise its foreign policy freely and independently.
The overall treatment of Cyprus by the United Kingdom demonstrates a lack of basic respect for its independence and for the security of its citizens. Indicatively, only residents within the British Base Areas received a personal warning message about the impending threat.
Regardless of the ongoing consequences of the Turkish occupation of 36% of Cyprus’ territory, the status of the British military Bases on the island should be reconsidered, whether through diplomatic means, legal avenues, or both, in light of the new circumstances.
In particular, the government and the Attorney General of the Republic should carefully examine which legal provisions allow the British government to take decisions whose consequences extend beyond the administrative boundaries of the Bases and affect the entire island.
It is self-evident that, in the absence of such provisions, the United Kingdom should be called upon to account for acts or omissions that constitute a violation of its obligations regarding the use of the military Bases.
If the issue of international responsibility of the United Kingdom arises, the Republic of Cyprus should, at least at this stage, proceed with formal diplomatic protests in order to make its position clear and explicitly reserve its legal rights regarding any potential financial compensation owed.
More broadly, the administrative regime of the British Bases, the decision-making process, and the question of financial compensation for the continued use of Cypriot territory require comprehensive review.