People in Cyprus will demonstrate at RAF Akrotiri on Sunday, as Britain’s military base on the island started being used as a launching pad for strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Last night, in an operation led by the United States, the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom deployed two pairs of Typhoon FGR4 aircraft from the Akrotiri base to attack Houthi rebel targets.
The strikes carried out with the support of Voyager-type aerial refuelling aircraft, used guided Paveway IV missiles.
The protest will take place on Sunday, January 14 at 11 a.m. and it is organised by the Cyprus Peace Council.
“We call on everyone to join the demonstration to condemn the air strikes being carried out from the British bases to transport war material to support the Israeli army’s operations in the Gaza Strip. We convey the message that we are struggling to make Cyprus a bridge of peace and cooperation between the peoples. The Cypriot people do not want British military bases in their country. They represent a constant danger to our country and to the peoples of the region. That is precisely why we demand their closure,” an announcement by the Cyprus Peace Council said.
“We demand that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus at long last demands explanations to be given regarding the military activities of the British bases and that it express in practice its solidarity with the Palestinian people,” it added.
Besides being used for the air strikes against Houthis, according to Declassified UK the UK’s airbase in Akrotiri has facilitated over 30 military transport flights to Tel Aviv since the start of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
The Houthis say their attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea are a show of support for the Palestinians and Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides denied that Cyprus is being used as a base to supply Israel with military equipment.
The UK High Commission in Cyprus also played down the allegations.
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