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| Possible locations for Russian Air-Bases in south Cyprus |
Greek Cyprus has announced
the country is ready to host Russia
at its aviation and naval bases, marking a split with its fellow EU members,
whom are in a deep conflict with Moscow over the
Russian military activities in Ukraine,
which has led to a violent insurgency within the country. Nato member France,
and Israel in particular,
both demand access to the airbase in question which is known as Andreas
Papandreou Airbase, which was constructed by the southern Cypriot government
jointly with Greece.
Needless to say, this has drawn marked disquiet from Britain and other EU members but
for differing reasons. That Greek Cyprus (and Greece)
is aligning themselves ever more closely with Moscow has to be a cause of major concern.
Their separate and conjoint raison d'être of course is
Russian money; in effect, they are once again selling themselves to Russia.
Cyprus historically is an island of huge strategic
importance and since time immemorial the island has been fought over,
conquered, lost, traded and ultimately divided for that reason. Turkey’s
continued military presence is not just to provide security to Turkish
Cypriots, while Britain’s presence since 1878 is not wholly in fulfilling her
role as a Guarantor Power of the arguably defunct Republic of Cyprus either. It
is for strategic purposes primarily and this is also the reason that Russia and Israel want to gain a military foothold
there. South Cyprus will let them too – in
return for cash, of course.
As yet, we have not heard a reaction from Ankara as to Turkey’s position on a Russian
military presence so close to her coastline. Syria is only 100 miles away too
and whilst Russia already have a deep-water port there, airbases on Cyprus will
further aid Moscow’s regional ambitions which are a part of Putin’s
expansionist policies.
Putting Britain’s case,
top British envoy, the British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Damian Roberick
Todd who has already had spats with south Nicosia over the gas exploration
‘crisis’ in the region, has highlighted the position of the EU in relation to
Russia and the actions of south Cyprus are out of line with voted EU decisions.
As ever, south Cyprus
‘olive-pick’ the pieces of the EU that suit it and ignore those that it does
not such as austerity measures that are in place because of the fiscal
incompetence of the Greek Cypriots. The latter is reflected in Athens
too where the newly elected government are not only tearing up the wholly vital
austerity regime there, but also aligning closely with Moscow. There is surely a case for suspending
the EU membership of both Greece
and their cultural siblings, Greek-Cyprus.
South-Cyprus have flirted
with Russia in search of soft loans in recent times, although in 2013 when
Greek Cypriot Finance Minister Michael Sarris visited Moscow to sell his and
his state’s soul to the Russians, when air bases were then on offer, the
Russians did not fall for his dubious charms. His dance did not entice nor lure
the Muscovite lucre; what was on offer was not juicy enough. Now the
south-Nicosia ‘pole-dancers’ are weaving their sordid art once again with
similar financial ambitions. This time the Russians are ‘crawling along the
Greek-Cypriot kerbs’ because circumstances are now much changed.
By way of its proxy on Cyprus, the socialist Akel Party, Russians have
always been active in Cyprus
diplomacy and local politics. There are some who will claim that the July 15
Greek induced ‘Colonels Coup’ against Archbishop Makarios, as well as the July
20, 1974 Turkish intervention that the coup triggered, were both a part of a
concerted effort to prevent the island from drifting towards the Soviet camp. Furthermore,
a Russian military presence in terms of aircraft will inevitably bring both
supply and naval vessels too. There is also a Greek-Cyprus/Israeli defence
agreement in place since 2010 so how will that be affected?
Whatever the outcome of
south-Cyprus ‘street-walking’, the one certain thing is that Turkish Cypriot
isolation will be no closer to ending for Moscow has traditionally backed the
Greek-Cypriot cause. Cyprus
is rammed with Russians now in both the north and the south of the island and
no doubt influence much in commercial terms at least in general. One can only
imagine that Turkey may
bolster her forces in Northern Cyprus to
enhance her own security. Dangerous times indeed on the ‘island of tears’.
By
Chris Green
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| Beşparmak Media Services |
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