Time to stop the antenna installation at Akrotiri

Opinion British Basescyprusmilitaryprotest Time to stop the antenna installation at Akrotiri Picture2 (1) Relevant News Time to stop the antenna installation at Akrotiri 11 August 2026 The hate-fest, and Erhurman’s fun club 11 August 2026 Overnight pharmacies on Tuesday, August 11 11 August 2026 Phileleftheros Editorial 11 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Residents of Kourion municipality made their opposition to new antennas at the British bases in Akrotiri loud and clear at a protest last Saturday, held outside the base itself. Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a local issue for people who happen to live nearby. It concerns all of us. It concerns Cypriot society. It concerns the Republic of Cyprus. And the Republic needs to act: demanding answers from the British, if it hasn’t already, and putting every dimension of this issue on the table. Until those answers come, the residents’ demands need to be met. That means an immediate halt to any work on the new antennas. A rethink of the plans, one that actually takes local concerns seriously. Full transparency and a formal briefing on what these installations are for and what they could mean for public health and the environment. And, beyond that, genuine dialogue between the British side, the Republic of Cyprus, local authorities and residents, before any further military build-up goes ahead. In a resolution handed to the Akrotiri Base administration, Kourion Municipality, the Akrotiri Merra Committee, the “Akrotiri Zero Hour” movement, and organised local groups spelled out their firm opposition to the new antennas and any further military infrastructure in the area. They also raised a wider concern: the militarisation of the region, especially at a time of heightened international tension that we’re all watching, and living through, even from a distance. But there’s a bigger picture here too, and it’s the bases themselves. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: these bases are a colonial hangover. It has always been our position that the so-called guarantees, the British bases, the British “rights” on Cypriot soil, are first and foremost a leftover of empire. An outdated, anachronistic arrangement. We’re obliged to remind readers of something else here: the drone attack on the British base this past March. The drone came down on the runway at the Akrotiri military airfield, exposing serious gaps in British forces’ response times. It raised another question too, just as pressing: if Britain can’t even secure its own bases, that’s a source of insecurity for Cyprus, and for the whole region. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News The hate-fest, and Erhurman’s fun club Overnight pharmacies on Tuesday, August 11 Larnaca hotel occupancy falls 15% amid Middle East war Cyprus makes AI Olympiad debut with four bronze medals The punk and the bruiser: Invasive species thrive as global warming transforms the Mediterranean Forest patrols prevent disaster at Akamas beach barbecue, Koutrafas fire Gulf shipping traffic via Strait of Hormuz falls to six vessels Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.