London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 19, 2025

Deal allows Cyprus to develop land in British sovereign base areas

Deal allows Cyprus to develop land in British sovereign base areas

‘Historic agreement’ is said to enable Cypriots to sell or develop properties in the post-colonial military zones

Sixty-two years after the end of British rule, Cyprus has taken another step out of the shadow of its colonial past with a deal that ushers in the biggest change in land use on the island since independence.

Describing the accord as groundbreaking, the president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, said it would enable thousands of Cypriots to develop properties in the “sovereign base areas” that Britain has long held on to in the Mediterranean country. That, he said, would not only yield “multiple benefits”, but correct “distortions and imbalances” in the lives of residents living in villages incorporated in the facilities.

“This is a truly historic agreement,” the leader told officials gathered in Nicosia’s presidential palace on Monday. “[It] is expected to not only have important development prospects for those who reside, or who have properties, on the bases, but for the economy and society more generally at an especially difficult time following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”


The sovereign base areas – which include military bases, but also farms and residential land – account for 3% of the island’s total landmass, or 98 sq miles. Although the accord was reached in 2014 under Britain’s then prime minister, David Cameron, it required years of complex negotiations underscored by the peculiar nature of territory that, while home to about 12,000 Cypriots, remained in the possession of the country’s former colonial power.

On 16 May, when the deal comes into effect, owners will be able to submit planning applications to develop properties much as they can elsewhere on the island. Until now, non-military development of base areas, with the exception of agricultural land, has been tightly controlled, eliciting disquiet among local people, who have complained of being penalised in a country already divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Calling the accord “a memorable moment” in ties between the two nations, Britain’s high commissioner to Cyprus, Stephen Lillie, predicted that it would contribute greatly to the quality of life for those living on the military bases.

“Our agreement means that, as far as possible, residents in the bases will now enjoy the same rights as Cypriots living in the republic to sell and develop their land and property and all the benefits that brings,” Lillie said. “I take pride in the fact that we have worked together to deliver a change that will have a real and positive impact on people’s lives.”

Restrictions have meant that much of the territory has remained unspoiled in contrast to otherwise heavily developed coastline in the rest of the island’s south. As of next week, planning zones and policies in force elsewhere will come into effect, but the commander of British Forces Cyprus, Maj Gen Rob Thomson, insisted that development would also be subject to environmental and security controls.

The installations are viewed as huge strategic assets by the UK, with RAF Akrotiri used as a forward mounting base for multiple operations across the region. Post-Brexit and in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the facilities’ strategic advantage has intensified. In a first visit to the island by a chief of general staff in almost a decade, Gen Sir Mark Carleton-Smith highlighted Cyprus’ significance to the British military.

“The UK is fortunate to enjoy a close bilateral partnership with the Republic of Cyprus and we retain sovereign bases here and have for many decades,” he said. “They offer a military platform for us to base troops in the eastern Mediterranean but also to use it as a springboard to shorten our response times across the region. It’s a region with a degree of strategic volatility and it’s to our military advantage to acclimatise, train and prepare troops here in Cyprus.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
×