"Reports in the international press last week suggested that after discussions with NATO leaders, US President Donald Trump may be considering the establishment of American military bases in Greenland similar to those the United Kingdom has in Cyprus. These media reports brought renewed attention to a unique arrangement that has existed in Cyprus since 1960, when the country gained independence from the UK following decades of colonial rule and a four-year armed struggle."
"Although the declaration of independence on August 16, 1960 formally marked the end of British colonial rule, it did not lead to the UK's complete withdrawal from the island. On the contrary, the Treaty of Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus included an explicit provision stating that "the territory of the Republic shall comprise the island of Cyprus () with the exception of two areas specified in an annex to the Treaty, which shall remain under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.""
"Under the Treaty of Establishment, the UK was not obliged to pay for the use of these areas, although a clause provided for financial assistance to the Republic of Cyprus in the form of a grant. According to Cypriot state archives, however, this grant was paid for only five years, as the UK unilaterally suspended payments in 1965, citing the changed circumstances following intercommunal violence."
US President Donald Trump may be considering the establishment of American military bases in Greenland similar to British bases in Cyprus. Cyprus gained independence on 16 August 1960, but the Treaty of Establishment reserved two areas under UK sovereignty. The Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) are Akrotiri and Dhekelia, located in the south and east and covering 254 square kilometers, about 3% of Cyprus. The Treaty did not require the UK to pay for SBA use but included a grant provision that was paid for five years and suspended unilaterally by the UK in 1965, citing changed circumstances after intercommunal violence.
Read at www.dw.com
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