Akrotiri & Dhekelia: Are UK bases on Cyprus island fueling Israeli arsenal?

Britain has two “Sovereign Base Areas” situated on Cyprus island – Akrotiri in the west and Dhekelia in the east – which are large, highly secretive military and intelligence facilities comprising 2.5 percent of the island’s land area.

In recent months, DeclassifiedUK and Haaretz have both published reports suggesting that the United States and the United Kingdom have been providing military support to Israel in its ongoing war on Palestine’s Gaza by utilising British air bases located in Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Israel's Haaretz newspaper exposes claims that the US military has been secretly supplying weapons to Israel using the British bases on the island. Over 40 US transport aircraft, 20 British transport aircraft and seven heavy transport helicopters believed to be carrying equipment, arms and forces have flown to RAF Akrotiri, Britain’s vast base in Greek-administered Southern Cyprus. From here, cargo planes proceeded to Israel's Nevatim Airbase.

For their report, Declassified asked the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) what US aircraft were flying to Israel from its base on the island – and what they were carrying. An MoD spokesperson refused to share this information. However, it is believed the British government is aware of what cargo the US planes are carrying.

These are not unsubstantiated claims.

Reports show a significant increase in flights from RAF Akrotiri since the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza, adding to the claims surrounding the UK and US’s military involvement in the region.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also addressed the recent reports, criticising the US and the UK for transforming the island into "a logistical base of weapons and ammunition for Israel".

“Today, an island right across from Gaza, in the middle of the Mediterranean, has turned into a logistical base of weapons and ammunition for Israel. That island still serves this purpose under the guise of a humanitarian hub for the Gazans,” Fidan said.

Most of the reports uncovering the US military's secret weapon supply to Israel “have surfaced from Greek and Greek Cypriot newspapers, as well as those in the UK. Contrary to what may be suggested, these disclosures did not originate from the Arab world or the Hamas sources" says Ismail Sahin, Professor of International Relations at Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University.

"They have reported an increase in flights from RAF Akrotiri through eyewitness accounts, particularly as there are Greek Cypriot workers employed at these bases. These witnesses have confirmed that these planes did indeed carry weapons and ammunition to Israel," he clarifies.

Used throughout history

The use of Akrotiri and Dhekelia to advance Israeli interests is not a recent development. These British bases have been actively employed in the Middle East to safeguard the regional interests of the US and its staunchest ally, Israel.

After World War II when Britain handed over sovereignty of the island to the Turks and Greeks of Cyprus and activated the Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases, the answer to why they did not surrender the entire island over to Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots lies here, suggests Ulvi Keser, a professor at Final International University.

"This 2.5 percent parcel of land, constituting the privately-owned British territory within the 8,500 square kilometres of Cyprus, housing the two bases, was originally under the ownership of Britain and its allies, notably the United States, with occasional involvement from other actors such as Germany and France, and particularly Israel in recent years," Keser explains.

"One of the primary objectives of these bases in Cyprus, as documented in British and American archives, is to safeguard Israel's interests,” says Sahin, resonating a similar viewpoint.

“Akrotiri Base has long served as a joint operational hub for the UK and the US for their operations in the Middle East. Operations in Syria and Iraq have seen the collaboration of these allies, with ongoing utilisation of British bases to this day,” he explains.

"Through the British bases in Cyprus, Israel has enhanced its intelligence-gathering capabilities, surveillance, and control over maritime routes in the region. Additionally, it has fortified its military presence in the area by obtaining military support from these bases during critical periods."

According to Professor Ata Atun, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Girne-based Cyprus Science University, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir sought arms assistance from the US during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, claiming that it was only with this assistance that Israel was able to prevail.

“Through an air bridge operating from Akrotiri to Tel Aviv, the US supplied Israel with a significant arsenal, including missiles, tanks, jeeps and soldiers. This support proved pivotal, as it turned the tide of the war in Israel's favour by the fourth day, despite Egypt and Syria's initial near decimation of the Israeli army," Atun explains.

"In 2011, they also backed the uprising against Gaddafi in Libya from Akrotiri by establishing an air bridge and channelling all the support from there,” he adds.

And finally on October 7, when Israel launched its war on Gaza, “all military aid to Israel was routed through Akrotiri," the professor tells TRT World.

“Different points on the island have been unconditionally and unquestionably given to Britain and its allies for them to use in case of emergency, and today those points are where the facilities of Britain and its allies are located,” says Keser.

"In order to conceal these activities, they artificially throw some excuses out so that certain intrigues and dirty laundry that occur there don't get exposed too much,” he adds.

The US involvement in Israeli aggression in Gaza is not limited to military support, however.

A temporary port in Gaza

Recently, US President Joe Biden announced plans for an "emergency mission" to build a temporary port in Gaza.

Although the White House claims that the port aims to deliver vital humanitarian aid to the devastated population of besieged Gaza, the decision raised many questions about the true motives behind the proposed port, considering US President Joe Biden and his administration’s unwavering support for Israel despite Tel Aviv having killed more than 32,200 people since it launched its war on Gaza.

While the stated purpose of the port may appear altruistic at first, it is crucial to recognise that Israel has historically imposed a naval blockade on the region and hence, it is naive to assume that the US would construct such infrastructure purely out of goodwill. Rather, there seem to be ulterior motives at play.

Beneath the sea off Gaza's coast lies a wealth of oil and natural gas valued in the billions of dollars, according to a 2019 UN report.

Experts say that these fossil fuels may be one of the reasons behind Israel’s war on Gaza.

In a recent announcement by the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in October, concessions for natural gas exploration were granted to both Israeli and foreign entities. These zones notably encroach upon the maritime borders of Gaza.

However, as an occupying force, Israel lacks any legitimate claim to award licences in territories over which it holds no sovereignty, under any pretext.

Professor Atun mirrors a similar perspective, suggesting that there is one primary objective of the port.

"Israel's assaults on Gaza are strategically aimed at shifting Gaza's borders approximately 2-3 kilometres inland, driven by the exclusive economic zone of Palestine."

"Sitting adjacent to Egypt's Zohr gas field, the most prolific gas-producing region in the Eastern Mediterranean, lies the exclusive economic zone of the State of Palestine, rich with gas reserves. From my perspective, Israel's objective is to assert control over the coastline to exploit the gas resources within the exclusive economic zone under its jurisdiction."

By providing unwavering support to Israel and essentially endorsing its occupation of Gaza, the US appears to be aiming to grant Tel Aviv control over offshore natural gas reserves which rightfully belong to the Palestinian state under international law.

“Both the construction of the port and the cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza are actually part of a larger project, ultimately aimed at fulfilling Israel's expansionist and colonialist goals of establishing a greater Israel,” Sahin explains.

A hub for espionage?

Not only have the bases been used as military depots for Israel, but the region has also long served to provide intelligence to the US and its allies.

While both the US and the UK governments acknowledge conducting flights and sharing intelligence with Israel, their claims that it is only for reconnaissance purposes to locate hostages over Palestine’s Gaza fails to convince the international community.

"In reality, the UK shares comprehensive military intelligence with Israeli authorities, covering everything from aerial surveys of Gaza to details about support networks Hamas or Gaza may possess via maritime routes," said Sahin.

Keser suggests it would be wrong to consider these bases solely as storage points for military equipment or as places to coordinate troops and weapons logistics operations, because it has many more functions than that.

“Especially in the last 40-50 years with the development of digital technology, this region, these bases and this geography have begun to assume very different functions and missions. This includes espionage activities, industrial espionage, space warfare, pharmaceutical industry, cutting-edge innovations in digital technology, cyber technology and many more,” Keser adds.

“Countries are waging immense battles behind the scenes on these matters. Cyprus is currently the focal point where all of these activities are carried out.”