British bases ‘lied to us’ about listening antennae, mayor says

Kourion mayor Pantelis Georgiou on Thursday accused the British bases’ administration of “lying” to his municipality over the placement of communications antennae in the Akrotiri base area. “We now have the final picture of what will be done by the British because what they had initially told us had nothing to do with what will ultimately be done,” he told Politis radio. He said that his municipality had in the first instance been told that 20 new antennae would be installed, and that 18 would be removed, but that two weeks ago, “we were told that 68 would be installed in the first phase”, and that another 68 antennae will be installed in the second phase. Additionally, he said, the bases’ administration intends to construct two new buildings and expand another, before initiating a “third phase” of the installation of more communications antennae, this time numbering between 31 and 34. 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He added that “on the contrary, it will create a serious issue”, before warning that the placement of more military infrastructure in the area will also create a “public safety” issue, as the base “will be seen as two military targets”. “We just discovered along the way that they were lying to us, because when we got some documents which we urgently requested, [we found that] this project had been planned and everyone in the British army knew about it since at least last year,” he said. He added, “they just did not inform us because they did not want us to react to these plans”. The Akrotiri peninsula from above [Photo: Tom Cleaver] Asked how the placement of new antennae may impact public health, he said that “essentially, what we are trying to understand is the technology with which these things work”. “We requested data on radiation emissions and have decided that we will proceed to provide these to a researcher so that he can conduct a study on the effects on public health,” he said, before adding that “measurements are being made” in the area. He said that a radiation meter has been installed at the Akrotiri village council building, and that his municipality has requested that other meters also be installed “at the edge of the borough”, near where the antennae are currently located, north of the village itself. In addition, he said the bases’ authorities planned to place two more meters in the area. Asked whether independent readings have been taken, he said that the only data he has seen so far has been given by the Republic of Cyprus’ electromagnetic service, “which has informed us that so far, from the existing antennae, the data shows that it is within the limits specified by the law”. However, he said that the readings had been taken with old equipment, and that as such, “we have requested the installation of new machines”. Additionally, he said that the legal radiation limit in Cyprus is “very high” in relation to the level of radiation which “really causes problems”, and that as such, he expects for amendments to be made to bring that limit down. “We asked them to give us examples from other countries so that we can pressure our parliament to move forward,” he said, before acknowledging that these limits would have to be accepted and adopted by the British bases’ authorities. The Akrotiri village council building He did acknowledge that the rate of cancer is lower in Akrotiri than in the rest of Cyprus, but stressed that “this does not mean anything” as “it is possible that the rest of the region is being impacted” by the radiation emitted by the antennae. On this front, he gave the example of the nearby village of Asomatos, “which is in the direction which the antennae are facing”. Asked what is being done about the matter with the Republic of Cyprus, he said a meeting was held with officials from the Republic a few days ago, and that the state has been “helpful towards the effort the municipality is making for all the information to be studied”. He added that he expects for data to be sent by the British bases’ administration to the Republic of Cyprus through the foreign ministry, and expressed hope that with a new government set to be formed as early as the week after next in the United Kingdom, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expected to be replaced by former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, locals will redouble their effort. “It is expected that the change in government could bring about a new and more coordinated effort,” he said, before criticising the bases’ administration for what he said he perceives as an expansion of its military footprint in the area. “What they are trying to do is commandeer and colonise land which belongs to the village council. It is the so-called greater Akrotiri, and they want to take around [470,000 square metres],” he said. He added that the area is a “very large extent which enclaves Akrotiri and cuts the whole area of land from here to the sea, from the point at which it is installed to the water”. Andy Burnham could become British prime minister as early as July 20 To combat this, he said, the “necessary legal actions” will be taken, and “from there, we are starting an information campaign locally, but also internationally, on the issue”. “What we will try to do is pressure the government and, in general, those involved, to request that there not be further development by the British authorities as it relates to the administration of this area,” he said. He added that this may entail appeals to the European Court of Human Rights, and that for now, “we are waiting for the process from the central state”. Anxiety over the placement of the antennae comes with the Cypriot government having already stated its intention to renegotiate the status of the British bases after the Akrotiri airbase was hit by an Iranian-made drone on March 2. On this front, President Nikos Christodoulides had promised upon his arrival a European Council summit in March that “we are going to have an open and frank discussion with the British government” over the future of the bases. That summit then ended with the European Council declaring that it stands ready to assist” the Cypriot government in discussions regarding the bases’ future and stating that it “acknowledges the intention of Cyprus to initiate a discussion with the UK” on the matter.