Mission criticism in Cyprus as villagers watch RAF planes depart for Middle East wars

Adonis Spyrou looks up at the sky as an RAF fighter jet roars overhead on its way to land at the nearby Akrotiri base on the island of Cyprus.

His grandparents were relocated from their homes to make way for RAF Akrotiri decades ago and he still feels a sense of resentment towards the base. The facility, near the port city of Limassol, sits within one of two Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus that are British Overseas Territories.

Soon after Israel attacked Iran earlier this month, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer ordered the deployment of 14 Typhoon fighters like those flying above Mr Spyrou’s house, along with two tankers, in a show of force.

Over the past decade or so, the base has also been used by the RAF for action in the Middle East against ISIS and the Houthis. RAF Typhoon jets aided Israel in April 2024, when they shot down an unspecified number of drones fired by Iran, but were not called into action this time around.

The base is also regularly used in evacuations of civilians from the Middle East and North Africa, including flights last week from Israel and in 2023 from Sudan as that country descended into civil war.

But for Mr Spyrou the presence of the planes has reinforced his concern about the base being at the front line of Britain’s military involvement in the Middle East.

The scrap metal dealer was hard at work with his hammer in the yard beside the house he owns with his Filipino wife Marilou when The National called.

He took time off to have a cigarette and share his views about the base, which he believes are shared by others in the village who are too afraid to speak out.

“We can say nothing but we are thinking that maybe something will happen with the bases and everybody will be killed,” he said, with his wife helping to translate.

“The base, they do what they want. They don’t talk to us, they don’t care about us. They don’t care what we think.”

Mr Spyrou accused the government of Cyprus of potentially putting its citizens in harm’s way.

“The government of Cyprus tells [the UK] they can do whatever they want,” he said. “People here in Cyprus don’t have a voice. Who is listening? I’m angry about this.”

The presence of RAF planes has also attracted the attention of pro-Palestinian activists, who have attached their own signs pointing to “Britain’s Genocide Base” to road signs. They alleged the base was being used to transport “lethal cargo”, such as weapons and ammunition, to Israel. The base strenuously denies the allegation.

The claim that Britain was using Akrotiri to assist Israel in its war in Gaza was also behind an attack on military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in the UK.

Three people were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of a terror offence in connection with the incident.

Palestine Action had posted footage online showing people inside the Oxfordshire base, with one person appearing to ride an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, before spray painting into its engine.

RAF Akrotiri also appears to have attracted the attention of the Iranians.

A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying and terror-related offences. Cypriot outlet Philenews reported that the man had links to “Iranian operatives” and had arrived on the Mediterranean island last month, posing as a tourist.

It said high-resolution cameras, telephoto lenses, notes, computers and three mobile phones were discovered at the suspect's apartment. It described the suspect as being of Azeri descent.

The UK’s military presence on the island dates from 1878 when it received Cyprus as a protectorate from the Ottoman Empire in exchange for its support against Russia.

After Cyprus gained independence in 1960, the UK retained sovereignty over approximately 98 square miles of territory for military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Those locals who left Akrotiri were given compensation to relocate. In the end it was decided not to move the entire village.

The base itself is around 3.5km from the village and has several quirks that mark it out as a little piece of Britain.

On the main road, Queen Elizabeth Street, is The Hamlet pub and George’s Fish and Chips, while the chatter of British service personnel gathering for a coffee can be heard in a cafe.

Mr Spyrou lives on a hill a few blocks back. While business appears to be ticking over well down on the main street, he says things have been tough for him recently.

He owns a plot of land but has been unable to obtain planning permission from the base authorities to expand his business there.

His wife explained that “this piece of land is yours and maybe you want to do something like build a business but without their permission you can’t do anything even though it's yours”.

Other businesses in the village, including a nearby mechanic’s workshop, have struggled to obtain planning permission.

Many people in the village believe it could be more prosperous if more permission was given to develop land, “but they don’t voice their opinions” said Mrs Spyrou.

Other villagers seem to want to keep their opinions to themselves. A neighbour of Mr Spyrou drew his finger across his lips and smiled when The National asked for his views of the base. “During the war in Iraq, the television crews came and everyone was quiet,” he said.

Others, though, have grown accustomed to the base being a potential target.

A coffee shop worker, who asked not be identified, said: “It’s ongoing all the time, isn’t it, so who knows what will happen.”