Cyprus

islandnation state

Cyprus  link () Powerbase Sourcewatch Wikiquote
Location	Mediterranean Sea, Europe
Type	nation state
A small, divided, island in the Mediterranean. Greek Cyrpus was aggressively pushing the COVID-19/Vaccine in May 2021.

Cyprus is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Although Cyprus is geographically located in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical make-up are overwhelmingly Southeast European.

Cyprus is the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is located southeast of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and Palestine, and north of Egypt. Its capital and largest city is Nicosia.

Cyprus hosts the British-controlled military bases Akrotiri and Dhekelia, whilst the northeast portion of the island is de facto governed by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is separated from the Republic of Cyprus by the United Nations Buffer Zone.

History

Following the 1974 invasion by Turkey, a separate Turkish speaking Cypriot state in the north was established in 1983. The ensuing occupation and the declaration of independence by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus TRNC have been condemned by United Nations resolutions, which are reaffirmed by the Security Council every year.

On 1 May 2004 Cyprus joined the European Union and was accepted into the EU as a whole, although the EU legislation is suspended in Northern Cyprus until a final settlement of the Cyprus problem.

In March 2008, a wall that had stood for decades at the boundary between the Republic of Cyprus and the UN buffer zone was demolished. The wall had cut across Ledra Street in the heart of Nicosia and was seen as a strong symbol of the island's 32-year division. On 3 April 2008, Ledra Street was reopened in the presence of Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials. The two sides relaunched reunification talks in 2015, but these collapsed in 2017.

Since 2020 Cyprus and Turkey have been engaged in a dispute over the extent of their exclusive economic zones, ostensibly sparked by oil and gas exploration in the area.

In July 2024, on the 50^th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus, Turkish President Erdoğan rejected a United Nations-endorsed plan for a federal government and supported the idea of having two separate states within Cyprus. Greek Cypriots immediately rejected Erdoğan's two-state proposal, calling it a "non-starter".

British Forces Cyprus

British Forces Cyprus is the name given to forces in the UK Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island of Cyprus and at a number of related 'retained sites'; they belong to the British Overseas Territory. These bases were a key asset for surveillance in the Mediterranean during the Cold War, with the United States having access to them and their capabilities.

File:Britain's Genocide Base.jpg

RAF Akrotiri aka Britain's Genocide Base

A spike in arms deliveries from US and NATO depots in Europe to RAF Akrotiri was reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, as well as "the illegal presence of thousands of American soldiers" at the base.

During his December 2024 visit to the base when it was operating surveillance flights to Gaza, British prime minister Keir Starmer noted:

"We can’t necessarily tell the world what you’re doing here.

"For reasons that are obvious to you, the whole world is relying on you".

RAF spy planes continued operating over Gaza during the two-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas (19 January to 18 March 2025).

Operation Gladio B

Full article: Operation Gladio/B

Sibel Edmonds states that Cyprus is one of the 3 main centres for Operation Gladio B money laundering, together with Malta and Dubai.

Corona

Full article: COVID-19

In May 2021, the Cyprus government announced it was planning a "Coronapass" system that would be required for businesses to reopen.

The Cypriot Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou stated

"We cannot keep the economy and society shut for too long.”

The Cyprus Bar Association, declared the idea unconstitutional.