Government denies Turkish pressure over aircraft on British bases

 

The agriculture ministry on Saturday rubbished a report by daily Phileleftheros suggesting two fire-fighting aircraft leased by Cyprus through EU co-funding were going to be based at RAF Akrotiri following pressure from Turkey.

Citing credible unnamed sources directly involved in the matter, Phileleftheros said Turkey did not want the aircraft stationed on EU territory because they would also be used in case of fire in the north.

The choice was either to have the planes at Akrotiri or not have them at all, the paper’s source said.

The agriculture ministry said the report contained “very serious inaccuracies,” which also included the type of the aircraft among them.

“At no stage in the procedure and at no level was there any intervention by any EU representative regarding the issue mentioned in the report,” the ministry said of the process to secure co-funding of two Air Tractor aircraft and not Canadair.

“The scenario that Turkish pressure on the EU forced the stationing of the aircraft of British bases territory is completely unfounded and does not correspond to reality,” the ministry said.

Use of RAF Akrotiri, which has been ongoing since 2006 for the purpose of effective fire-fighting in the territory of the Republic, was decided solely on technocratic and operational criteria, the ministry added.

Cyprus will be operating six primary fire-fighting aircraft this season. Two will be operating out of Akrotiri to provide prompt coverage to the south areas of Troodos mountain.

The ministry said it considered the procurement of the additional aircraft through the EU a great success.

It said it was open to criticism that is in good faith provided it is based on real facts and not unsubstantiated and unfounded information.

 

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.