Cyprus’ High Commissioner to the UK Kyriacos Kouros put diplomatic niceties aside on Wednesday, telling leading British news outlets that the UK has an obligation to protect not just its military facilities in Cyprus, but also Cypriot residents living nearby, as well as British residents across the island.
The March 2 drone attack that struck an air hangar at RAF Akrotiri airbase on the western coast of Cyprus – marking the first direct airborne hit on the bases – caught both Cypriot and British authorities by surprise.
According to Politis to the point sources, the drone was launched from southern Lebanon, implicating Iranian proxy Hezbollah behind the attack.
While the Shahed drone caused minimal damage, the impact could have been much worse, as seen from video footage of other Shahed drone attacks. In other words, the British bases and, given their proximity, the Cypriot residents living around them got lucky.
Speaking to BBC’s flagship news and current affairs programme Newsnight, Kouros said: “A lot of Brits talk about the bases in Cyprus, but they don’t have a clear understanding that the bases in Cyprus – both of them are less than 100 square miles – are full of Cypriots who reside, live and work there.”
He added that it was crucial for the Cypriot government that the civilians living in the bases’ areas – estimated to be around 11,000 in total – are secure.
People are scared
Referring to the March 2 attack, Kouros said: “The night of the incident, for example, the bases informed their personnel about the event and how to deal with it, (but) not the people who were living in the bases.”
Asked by Newsnight presenter Katie Razzal how people felt about that, the Cypriot diplomat replied:
“Quite scared, quite panicked. And this is the feeling that we get in Cyprus.”
In a separate interview with Sky News’ Yalda Hakim, Kouros said: “The British people have to understand that the British bases in Cyprus cannot be seen as separate from the whole of the island. There are Cypriots living in the British bases.”
He noted that the bases are not just military installations. While British personnel come and go according to the duration of their tour, Cypriots are permanently living there.
Brits living all over the island
In addition to the Cypriots technically living under British military rule in a unique setup for British Overseas Territories, the Cypriot High Commissioner suggested the UK should also consider the need to protect Brits living across the island.
“If you want to safeguard British interests, well, believe it or not, 5% of the population of Cyprus are British expats, so how can you differentiate about whom you are protecting where on the island.
“That’s why we are very adamant, we don’t want to be dragged into this conflict. That’s why we want coordination with the British government so that they do not take decisions that affect our lives and the lives of our people,” he told Sky News.
Given that the threat to the bases is also a threat to Cyprus, the Cypriot government – which repeatedly highlights it plays no role in the US-Israeli war against Iran – has called on London to take the necessary measures to make people feel safe.
This is not ‘business as usual’
It is not business as usual in the Middle East, argued Kouros on Sky News.
“It’s the first time that we see the British bases hit directly. So, there is a new development, and this shows that coordination between my government and the British government has to be continuous.”
Asked if Cyprus is having that continuous contact, he replied:
“Yes, we do. At this stage, we are. There was, at the initial stage, some lack of proper organisation, but I think we are back on where we should have been from the start.”
British Defence Secretary John Healey arrived in Cyprus Wednesday evening. Apart from visiting RAF Akrotiri, he also held a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Vasilis Palmas, which went well enough as the two exchanged thoughts on the latest developments.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Thursday evening that two Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capability will be sent to Cyprus. One of the most technologically advanced warships in the British Royal Navy, the air-defence destroyer HMS Dragon, will also be deployed to Cyprus.
However, according to Alistair Cairns, UK Minister for the Armed Forces, the Dragon was being fitted out for another operation when it got the call to sail to Cyprus instead. It will remain docked in Portsmouth until the different weapons systems are refitted, meaning it is unlikely to arrive in Cyprus until probably the end of next week, reported the BBC.
France and Greece to the rescue, Italy and Spain on their way
Speaking on Newsnight, Kouros noted that Cyprus had to seek help from other allies to create an umbrella of protection against possible drone or missile attacks.
“At least, on our part, we managed to bring from other countries, allies, their own assets.”
Greece has sent two frigates, with anti-drone capabilities, and four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus, while France sent its Aquitaine-class frigate Languedoc. Its flagship air carrier Charles de Gaulle is also on its way. On request from Cyprus, Italy and Spain are also due to send frigates to the island, while Germany decided against.
One defence source told Newsnight there was an element of embarrassment that a French frigate had to go to Cyprus to protect the island. At the same time, Cyprus is an EU member state and France is a security partner of the UK, which is currently very stretched in the high north and in the Baltics.
Asked if people in Cyprus feel protected by the British, after a five-second pause, Kouros replied: “It’s not an easy question to ask a diplomat who represents a country and the host is Britain. So, let’s say the people are disappointed, the people are scared, the people could expect more.”
Asked to elaborate on what more means, the Cypriot diplomat said: “More cooperation with the government of Cyprus, to safeguard that such incidents will not happen again.”
A practical people
The Newsnight presenter noted that the British government has already been building up F-35 fighter jets in the region and augmenting defence capabilities around Cyprus. Asked if that reassures the High Commissioner, Kouros replied: “I represent a practical people. We want to see the results. So, let’s hope that what we hear is true and that we are on the right track.”
Regarding the call by some UK politicians to retaliate against the drone attack on Akrotiri, the diplomat said the Cypriot government’s policy is that it doesn’t want to be a part of any conflicts in the region.
“We don’t have that capacity to be such an influential power,” he said.
Asked what message he would give the British PM, Kouros said: “I would thank him for paying attention to our worries, and that I would love to see more.”