The UK and its allies are planning to carry out a series of naval exercises in the Mediterranean region in the coming October and November, the British Ministry of Defence has said.

In a written statement to CNA, a spokesperson of the British Ministry of Defense stated that the exercises will be carried out by the Response Force Task Group-RFTG “as part of regular training cycles”.

The spokesperson was asked to comment on information according to which Britain intends after the end of the London Olympic Games to deploy warships in the Mediterranean region to assist the evacuation of British Nationals from Syria and other neighboring countries, in case the situation in Syria worsens.

“As part of regular training cycles, there are longstanding plans for the Response Force Task Group (RFTG) to conduct a series of exercises with allies in the Mediterranean during October and November this year”, the MoD spokesperson said.

He added that “the RFTG was established by the Strategic Defence and Security Review as a high readiness, multi-faceted maritime capability to respond to crisis events around the world.”

In addition, the British Foreign Office had issued a statement on the occasion of an article carried by the Daily Telegraph on Saturday 21 July about the routine autumn deployment of the Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group, suggesting that one potential role of the Task Group was an evacuation of British Nationals from Syria and surrounding nations.

“In fact, no evacuation has been planned or ordered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which has been advising against all travel to Syria since April 2011”the statement says.

It notes that “the Foreign Office has urged British Nationals in Syria to leave by commercial means while these are still available”, adding that “the government has repeatedly made clear, using a wide variety of communications, that those who choose to remain in Syria, or visit against our clear and unambiguous advice should be aware that we are unable to provide normal Consular services”.

For over a year, our message has been that we cannot organise or assist their evacuation from Syria”, the statement concludes.

Britain, a former colonial power, has retained two military bases in Cyprus since 1960 when Cyprus gained its independence. The air base at Akrotiri, said to be the biggest British air base overseas, has in the past served as a refuge for British nationals fleeing war zones