Statements by AKEL Political Bureau member Aristos Damianou on “Astra” radio station, 12 January 2024

Τhe British bases involvement in the airstrikes in Yemen is negative, dangerous and deplorable

Responding to a question about last night’s development in the United Kingdom, where according to the daily British newspapers “Times” and “Daily Mail” the British Prime Minister gave the green light for airstrikes to be launched against the Houthis in Yemen, with reports suggesting the participation perhaps of UK fighter jets from Cyprus too, stationed in the British bases in Akrotiri, Aristos Damianou pointed out the following:

“This is a very negative development. It is a press report that is already circulating in news agencies in Britain and worldwide. It is obvious that a seemingly localised conflict can no longer remain local and I am referring to the root cause of what is unfolding with regard to the Houthis which is related to the ongoing genocide being committed against the Palestinians by the State of Israel in the Gaza Strip with the carnage of victims, without of course this justifying whatever other military actions and side effects.

However, with this development, we have the involvement of the United States, we have the imminent involvement of Britain and it seems that we have the imminent involvement, if the reports are true, of the British bases to right here in our country. This is both a negative, but also a dangerous development.

This is not the first time that Cyprus has become part of a problem, the theatre of war as it is called, through the use of the British bases for military purposes in order to launch attacks around the world. This is an extremely negative and reprehensible development.

It is also an additional reason to raise our voices and join the demonstration being organised by the Cyprus Peace Council on Sunday against the Akrotiri British Base.

So on the one hand we denounce this negative development. On the other hand we must bolster and strengthen the lines of Sunday’s mobilisation precisely to get the message across that Cyprus is not offering itself as part of another conflict in the region.

This is not the first time that British bases have violated the 1960 treaties for the purpose for which British bases are supposedly used for, these obscene remnants of the 1960 Zurich-London Agreements.WE CALL ON EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE BRITISH BASES!

The USA and Britain have turned Cyprus into an aggressive launching pad against the peoples of the region!
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In the most blatant way the USA and Britain have turned Cyprus into an aggressive launching pad against the peoples of the region. The US-British air strikes carried out last night in Yemen from the Akrotiri military bases expose Cyprus and make it part of the danger of a general flare-up in the Middle East.

The British government, disregarding the dangers to Cyprus and the peoples of the region, gas given the “green light” for the imperialist attacks to be waged on Yemen, even permitting to be suggested that the bombings will continue. With the war in Gaza continuing and the imperialist operations in the region escalating, the danger of a general war breaking out is now visible, with Cyprus in the very eye of the storm.

The Cyprus Peace Council (CPC) reiterates its long-standing position for an immediate termination of the presence of the British Bases in Cyprus. The British Bases are a remnant of the colonial regime, crippling the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cyprus and putting the peoples of the region in constant danger, in violation of international law.

We reiterate our demand to the government of the Republic of Cyprus to at long last ask for an explanation to be given with regards the military activities of the British bases and to demand their dismantling.

We call on everyone to take part in a militant spirit in the demonstration organised by the CPC against the Akrotiri British Base, on Sunday, 14 January 2024, at 11:00 a.m. to denounce the imperialist operations and air strikes carried out by the British Bases against the peoples of the region and to demand at the same time an end to the genocide being committed against the Palestinian people.

#BRITISHBASESOUT OF CYPRUS!
CYPRUS – PALESTINE SOLIDARITY!

Cyprus Peace Council
Friday, 12 January 2024