Anastasiades: Britain never favoured Cyprus

Former president Nicos Anastasiades said on Tuesday that discussion over the future of the British bases is premature, arguing that any reassessment should come only after a settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Speaking on Sigma television following French president Emmanuel Macron and Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ visit to Cyprus, Anastasiades said the issue of the bases must determine whether the United Kingdom fulfilled its responsibility to protect civilians living within the areas.

“The first responsibility of the British should have been to protect their bases and Cypriot citizens living within these areas,” he insisted.

He warned against calls for the withdrawal of the bases under current conditions, describing such debate as untimely and requiring calm study and consultation.

Anastasiades added that the precedent involving Mauritius and the Chagos Islands could strengthen the legal arguments of the republic regarding British military territories, while acknowledging that London has historically not supported Cypriot positions.

“The British have never favoured our positions,” he said, stressing however that the matter should be addressed only after a political settlement of the island’s division.

He also referred to an agreement reached in 2014 with then British prime minister David Cameron under which land within the bases would be returned for development, arguing that dialogue could yield further progress.

Turning to the ongoing crisis with Iran, Anastasiades praised the response of president Nikos Christodoulides in mobilising international partners.

He singled out the role of Greece, saying the rapid dispatch of military support helped trigger wider European engagement.

“We must be grateful to Greece,” he said, adding that Athens’ reaction encouraged countries such as France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands to mobilise.

At the same time he criticised the overall response of the European Union, saying Europe appeared largely absent despite the direct implications of regional instability.

On Cyprus potentially joining NATO, Anastasiades repeated that the republic should pursue membership but acknowledged that the process requires unanimous approval from all alliance members.

He pointed out that Turkey does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, making accession difficult without a broader political agreement.

Asked whether he had communicated with Christodoulides during the recent crisis, Anastasiades said he had not been contacted.

“I had no telephone communication with the President. He may have wiser advisers,” he retorted.