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EU leaders vow to support Cyprus in talks over future of British bases

What happened

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides is calling for "frank, open discussions" with the UK about the future of British sovereign military bases Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island. The bases have become Iranian targets amid the current Middle East conflict. EU leaders have pledged to support Cyprus in these discussions about the bases, which Christodoulides describes as a "colonial consequence."

Why people care
The UK has maintained these sovereign military bases in Cyprus since the island's independence in 1960, making them a long-standing symbol of British influence in the region. The bases becoming Iranian targets has created new security concerns and given Cyprus leverage to revisit arrangements that many Cypriots view as outdated colonial remnants.
The takes
Cyprus says

The British bases are a "colonial consequence" that needs to be addressed through honest dialogue with the UK. The current Middle East crisis, which has made the bases Iranian targets, provides an opportunity to discuss their future role and status on the island.

UK position

The sources don't provide the UK government's direct response to these calls for discussion. The bases have historically been considered strategically important for British military operations and regional stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Sources
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