Britain Cannot Claim Neutrality While Its Bases Make Cyprus a Target

A Guarantor in Name, a Participant in Practice

A recent report by The Guardian, headlined “Iran threatens to target US, UK and French bases if they help stop Tehran’s strikes on Israel,” directly names British military assets in Cyprus as potential Iranian targets. It quotes:

"Iran has warned the United States, United Kingdom and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help stop Tehran’s strikes on Israel."

This admission, buried deep in the middle of the coverage, sets off sirens for Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) a community with no role in the Israeli-Iranian confrontation but one that now stands at risk of becoming collateral.

It is now impossible to ignore the elephant in the room. British bases on the Greek-controlled south of Cyprus — Akrotiri and Dhekelia — are being implicated in a wider regional conflict, potentially serving as launch points for operations in support of Israel. This is not speculation. Iran’s explicit warning confirms that British actions may draw Cyprus directly into the line of fire.

The Legal and Moral Failure of a Guarantor Power

The United Kingdom is not a passive observer in Cyprus. It is a Treaty of Guarantee signatory, entrusted with preserving the peace, constitutional order, and security of the island. That includes protecting all communities, Turkish Cypriots included. Instead, Britain is now suspected of allowing, or at the very least failing to rule out, the use of its sovereign bases for combat sorties that risk igniting a broader regional war. If Britain continues to allow the use of its bases for such operations, it is not just violating the intent of the Guarantee Treaty, it is abandoning its moral obligation to Cypriots who never consented to becoming part of a conflict theatre. The illusion of neutrality collapses when British airfields facilitate regional warfare. This is no longer a question of defence, but of complicity.

The Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, has claimed the UK assured him the bases were not used since the outbreak of this crisis. However, his statement is both unverifiable and politically convenient.

"Our role is purely humanitarian... The Republic of Cyprus is not involved in any way." Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Christodoulides

From the Turkish Cypriot perspective, this is a reckless distortion. The Greek Cypriot side hosts military installations capable of regional power projection and refuses to acknowledge the strategic liability they present to the whole island.

Jeremy Corbyn 

Jeremy Corbyn MP acting on a motion calling on the UK government to establish a bill to make provision for establishing an independent public inquiry into UK involvement in Israeli military operations in Gaza, specifically questioning the involvment of the Akrotiri RAF base in Cyprus. 

British-Turkish Cypriots Have a Right to Demand Accountability

British citizens of Turkish Cypriot origin, TRNC nationals living in the UK, and British expats residing in Cyprus must now raise a fundamental question:

How can Britain, a self-declared guarantor of peace, allow military installations on Cypriot soil to participate in a war that could draw retaliation, putting innocent Cypriots at risk?

This is not just about legal frameworks. It’s about common sense and accountability.

• The UK publicly criticises Israel’s excesses, but silently enables regional escalation through military support.

• The TRNC, which has no foreign bases, no part in this war, and no protection under NATO, is being placed in danger.

• Iranian threats are not abstract. They have named British bases in Cyprus directly.

If Britain’s role as a guarantor is to mean anything at all, then it cannot allow Akrotiri and Dhekelia to become launchpads for offensive operations.

President Ersin Tatar’s Warnings Now Ring True

The President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar, has long warned that foreign military infrastructure on the island represents an unacceptable danger. As early as 2023, he cautioned that the presence of NATO-aligned facilities could draw Cyprus into wider conflicts, particularly if the Greek Cypriot side aligned with hostile powers or was used as a staging point.

Those warnings were ignored.

Today, Iranian missiles and drones threaten to make them a reality.

TCE research confirms that since the Israeli strikes on Iran began, public shelters were opened in Limassol, and apps were launched to direct Greek Cypriots to defence zones. Meanwhile, no such protection exists for Turkish Cypriots, who were not consulted, informed, or even acknowledged in the Greek side’s security coordination.

Türkiye's Position and Regional Balance

Türkiye, a fellow guarantor power and critical regional player, has so far exercised restraint. Turkish Foreign Ministry statements emphasise the importance of de-escalation and the inviolability of national sovereignty. However, Turkish press outlets — including TRT World and Yeni Şafak now openly discuss the possibility of Cyprus becoming a strategic target.

“If Akrotiri becomes active again in support of military strikes, Türkiye cannot remain indifferent to the threat posed to its kin in the TRNC.”  Sabah, 14 June 2025

This is a dangerous tipping point. If the UK and the Greek side fail to address these warnings, they will not just be risking Iranian retaliation, they will be undermining the fragile peace in Cyprus and inviting a wider confrontation.

This is a Call to Action, Not simply a Warning

The TRNC has always advocated peace. It has no offensive capabilities, no access to NATO infrastructure, and no strategic interest in this war. But it now finds itself in the crosshairs of a power struggle between the West and Tehran, a struggle it did not cause and cannot control.

This is why we call on:

• British Turkish Cypriots to raise this issue with their MPs.

• UK-based TRNC citizens to organise and demand answers.

• British expats in Cyprus to reflect on the threat posed to the very land they now call home.

Britain must immediately clarify the use of its Cyprus bases. If these facilities are being used in support of military operations — even indirectly, then this is not neutrality. It is participation.

And participation makes Cyprus a target.

TCE Conclusion: The Risk is Real, the Silence is Deadly

For too long, the TRNC has been ignored in international security discourse. But today, silence is no longer an option. Iran has named the British bases in Cyprus. Israel continues its campaign. The Greek Cypriot side plays both victim and host. And the UK guarantor, colonial legacy-holder, and NATO ally, must now choose:

Will it uphold its obligations to all Cypriots, or will it turn Cyprus into a warzone?

If the answer is the latter, then Turkish Cypriots have every right to demand international guarantees of their own and a seat at the table where their security is decided.