By Anthony O. Miller
BRITAIN is postponing war games, set to open today in the environmentally fragile Akamas peninsula, pending the outcome of more talks with Cyprus on an alternative site, the British High Commission said yesterday.
The talks, which began last Friday and resumed yesterday, could end the use – though not the right to the use – of the Akamas for war games by Britain, High Commission Spokesman Piers Cazalet said yesterday.
“There will be more meetings this week (to discuss) … possible use by the Bases of the National Guard Firing range at Kalo Chorio” as a substitute for the Akamas.
Cazalet said the talks have been “constructive and useful so far, and there’s no reason to think they won’t continue in that way”.
In that light, Major-General Angus Ramsay, commander of British forces in Cyprus, postponed exercises that were to have involved fewer than 100 British troops and no live ammunition, Bases spokesman Rob Need confirmed.
“It’s not just the assessment of the suitability of the (Kalo Chorio) site, it’s the conditions upon which that site is offered,” that would determine whether Britain would accept the National Guard firing range as an alternative, Need said.
“The aspiration to train elsewhere remains, so it is in our interest to move as quickly as we can,” in reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement, Need said.
Cazalet noted a local agreement could be negotiated on an alternative site to the Akamas for SBA training without amending the 1960 Treaty of Establishment, which ended Cyprus’ status as a British colony. Under the treaty, Britain is entitled to use territory in the Republic several times a year for war games.
“The right to use the Akamas would still exist. It would still be there,” Cazalet said. “We wouldn’t make use of it. It would be a local agreement which would have effect, and that’s all that matters, really.”
The treaty’s signatories included Britain, Greece, Turkey, the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. But with all bi-communal activity currently blocked by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, there is little chance he would ever sign any amendment to the Treaty of Establishment that might benefit either Britain or the Republic.
Cazalet said local environmentalists, who had threatened to try again this month to disrupt any SBA exercises in the Akamas, “can for this week, certainly” put away their protest placards. Need said he saw no anti-war games protesters in a drive through the Akamas at the weekend. He said he was delighted at the apparent reduction in confrontational tactics.
George Perdikis, Greens Party leader had said his members planned to “face them” if the British held exercises today in the Akamas. Early last month protesters destroyed signs, fencing and damaged portable toilet units in their campaign to stop the Akamas exercises. The bases threatened to seek compensation for some £50,000 in damage to the British property.
On learning yesterday of the postponement, Perdikis said he hoped there would be a positive outcome to the negotiations between the Cyprus government and the British Bases.
“The story is not only to get the British out of the Akamas,” Perdikis said; “the story is to pursue the government to put into practice the plans for a national park,” included in an European Union plan that was financed by the World Bank.
