FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2/27/2025
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
‘UK-US: Bases Off Cyprus’ Campaign Launches; Exposes UK's Role in Genocide
BRITAIN - On Wednesday February 26, organisations in Britain and Cyprus launched ‘UK-US: Bases Off Cyprus’, a campaign opposing the British military bases on Cyprus, particularly for their use in facilitating US-Israeli genocide against the Palestinain people. As the webinar began, a British spy plane took off from RAF Akrotiri to spy over Gaza.
The coalition of organisations include CODEPINK, Genocide-Free Cyprus, Stop the War Coalition, United for Palestine (Cyprus), and Far Right Watch Cyprus.
During the webinar, the new website was officially launched, providing “a resource for information about the British bases that is suppressed by the mainstream media and the British government”, according to CODEPINK’s Nuvpreet Kalra, who moderated the webinar. The website includes information on the bases, resources, and information to facilitate education and action.
Matt Kennard, former Head of Investigations at Declassified UK, opened up the webinar by discussing his research which was described as the source for the Bases Off Cyprus campaign. He described RAF Akrotiri as a “central node in the Anglo-American empire and its control of the Middle East”. Kennard went on to highlight the potential significance of Britain’s sharing of surveillance for the live cases against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ). The campaign has launched a petition to the ICC to request British surveillance footage over Gaza and to assess whether this constitutes aiding Israeli war crimes. Kennard finished his talk by emphasising the need to educate the British public on the bases and as a result, this campaign is “very, very important.”
Kennard’s research from Britain was followed by Matthew Stavrinides, of Genocide-Free Cyprus, who discussed the work of the group in researching the spy flights and weapons transfers from the British bases. Matthew also emphasised how Cyprus itself is deepening its relations with the Anglo-American empire: “the President […] didn’t even attempt to criticise the British government because he wouldn’t risk sabotaging the military relationships that he’s slowly developing.”
Further speakers included Jeanine Hourani from the Palestinian Youth Movement who shared her reflections on the successes of recent campaigns for Palestine and emphasised the importance of popular campaigns led by people in demanding action “from below.” Nicos Trimikliniotis provided a history of the British bases on Cyprus, which cover 3% of the island, and pressed that this is not just a “local issue” which is why we need an international campaign that is connected to Britain and the United States.
The necessity of international action is key to the campaign, made clear in the announcement of a protest simultaneously at the Ministry of Defence in London and RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to highlight how “the decisions to give arms and intelligence to Israel are being made in London and enacted in Cyprus against the will of the people.” The protest will take place on 9th March at 1:30pm UK/3:30PM CY.
The webinar’s further speakers included Lindsey German, National Convenor of Stop the War Coalition, who provided a history of British militarism and imperialism in the Middle East and emphasised the need to grow the anti-war movement. Oz Karahan, President of the Union of Cypriots, highlighted the need to liberate Cyprus from militarism and imperialism which he described as the need to “cut off the windpipe of imperialism in the entire region.” Peter Iosif from Cypriot Peace Council spoke about RAF Troodos, a British intelligence base on Cyprus that is also used by the US as a ‘listening post’ as well as clarifying the need to “internationalise our stance” against the British bases on the island.
Jeremy Corbyn, of the Peace and Justice Campaign, was scheduled to speak but unable to make it as he was held up in Parliament. He reaffirmed that he has regularly raised the issue of RAF Akrotiri’s weapons transfers as well as surveillance flights over Gaza and “of course will continue to do that.”
The sentiment of the webinar, from both the speakers and the audience, was one of need for international solidarity and action. This campaign is described as the beginning of a wider campaign of education and pressure, to achieve the five demands as outlined on the campaign’s website: stop surveillance flights over Gaza, release surveillance footage to the ICC, Cypriot refusal for US and UK operation on the island, the removal of US troops, and the closure of the British bases.
To sign up to join the campaign and find out more, visit: https://www.basesoffcyprus.org
###
