The government of Cyprus is facing strong criticism after use of the RAF base on the island in US-led airstrikes against Syria, with people protesting outside the facility on the eve of a “mass anti-war” rally on Monday in Nicosia.



More than 350 people, most members of the Greek Communist party, gathered on Sunday in Akrotiri, in the south-west of Cyprus, to call for the airbase to be closed. Some sprayed “Nato killers go home” in red paint on a wall outside the enclave’s entrance.

Shortly after the airstrikes, President Nicos Anastasaides’ administration was forced on the defensive.

“We do not want Cyprus to be involved in any military operation and that includes using the British bases as a launching pad for strikes against Syria,” Stefanos Stefanou, a spokesman of the main opposition Akel party, told the Guardian. “In our view the bases are an anachronism and their role should be raised with the British government.”

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Four Tornadoes took off at 3am local time on Saturday with eight Storm Shadow missiles for a strike against a chemical weapons factory west of Homs. RAF Akrotiri is Britain’s main forward mounting base for overseas operations in the Middle East and has been used frequently to carry out airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq.

The facility is part of the 99-sq-mile area retained by Britain in 1960 when Cyprus became independent. Eight Typhoons and six Tornadoes are stationed there.

Sunday’s demonstration came after staunch criticism over Britain’s failure to give Cyprus advance warning about the strikes. Theresa May called Anastasiades several hours after the operation to inform him. “The [Cypriot] government should have acted pre-emptively so that the base wasn’t used,” Stefanou said.

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Despite occasional outbursts of anti-British sentiment over the facilities, the UK enjoys what has been described as “excellent cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus”. Prodromos Prodromou, the Cypriot government spokesman, said that while Nicosia had not been forewarned, May had reassured Anastasiades that the island would not be endangered by what she described as “limited use of the bases”.

Speaking before the strikes, Prodromou said London was not obliged to inform Nicosia.

“What the British authorities decide to do on the sovereign bases is not within the control of the Republic of Cyprus,” he said. “They are not obliged to give information to us. We have no say in what goes on in them, although unofficially, as a matter of courtesy, lets say, they will often inform us.”

Given Cyprus’s traditionally strong ties with Russia – about 40,000 Russians live in Limassol, the nearest seaside town to Akrotiri – analysts said it would have been nonsensical to let Nicosia know in detail about strikes targeted at a regime whose closest ally is Moscow.

Opposition over the bases is expected to mount when an anti-war rally is staged outside the US embassy. Appealing to all “peace loving residents” to join Monday’s protest in Nicosia, the Cyprus peace council, an NGO with strong links to Akel, also demanded that the bases be dismantled. The strikes have spawned fears of Russian retaliation. The Russians hold key positions in Syria, which is just 70 miles from the airbase.

In the sleepy village of Akrotiri up the road from the base, locals said security fears were a common concern. “Everyone worries, especially those with children, that there could be some kind of punishment,” said Bambos Charalambos, 44, a public works employee. “They just prefer to keep quiet because most in Akrotiri work at the base, and in some way, are dependent on it.”

Local residents recall a Tornado losing two missiles midair in July 2015 as it prepared to land. “Lucky for us the missiles didn’t explode,” said Charalambos. “It was really frightening. Russia could react one day and miss the base and target us instead.”