Adrian, G0KOM will be active as ZC4MK from Avdimou Beach, SBA, Cyprus, during July 2025.
He will operate on HF Bands.
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QSL via home call.
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ADRIAN MCGONIGLE, 67 Avon Road, Chelmsford CM1 2JX, England.
DXCC Country - British Sovereign Bases Cyprus ZC4.
UK military bases in Cyprus: information you didn't even know about
Cyprus is one of the three most populous islands in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the eastern Mediterranean and geographically belongs to Asia. The island has a very rich history, and the political and economic system has regularly undergone dramatic changes. Great Britain has played a major role in the development of Cyprus, which to this day maintains two military bases on the island.
Jump, Avdimou Beach, SBO, Cyprus. Author - Mark Petts.
Why did Britain need Cyprus?
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire due to the economic crisis, Great Britain managed to buy about 44% of the shares of the Suez Canal. This gave the UK government the port, which was the only access to India, China and other Asian countries. This was followed by a series of wars, of which the most significant was the Russo-Turkish War, which took place in 1877. The British feared that the Russians might take away the Mediterranean territories if they started a war with them, so they decided to strengthen their position on the island.
They knew that this island was the only obstacle in front of the Asian countries. Therefore, 1878 was marked by the landing of British troops on the territory of Cyprus. The place of deployment was the port city of Famagusta. The first landing attempt was unsuccessful. The soldiers were not prepared for the high temperature, humidity, abundance of mosquitoes, and as a result, the ranks of the army were considerably thinned.
Avdimou Beach, SBA, Cyprus. Author - Liz Pamboris.
British colony
Following the Russian -Turkish War, Berlin convened a congress during which ownership of the island was transferred to Great Britain. The British signed a lease agreement with Turkey, under which the Turks received 100,000 pounds sterling each year, and England could own Cyprus. The decision to lease the island had long been strongly criticized by the English government. The reasons for this were as follows:
- Cyprus was acquired in order to strengthen Britain's position on the world stage without spending a single cent, but this goal was not achieved even after many years.
- The island was seen as a land of plenty that would allow the country's capital to be multiplied through the development of industry and agriculture. This myth was dispelled as soon as the British pioneers visited Cyprus: unbearable heat, humidity, and the terrain was swampy and unsuitable for planting all kinds of crops.
- Great Britain could barely make ends meet: the treasury allocated a considerable amount of money to pay the rent, and Cyprus did not bring any profit at all. After that, England for a long time attempted to establish a military base on the island, but because of political pressure from Turkey and Europe, all efforts were in vain.
Avdimou Beach, SBA, Cyprus. Author - MichaelSmith1985.
Cyprus in the 20th century
In 1912, the government of England recognized the island as unprofitable. The kingdom suffered significant losses trying to establish at least some production on its territory. It was decided to give the island to Greece. But the authorities of the Greek state refused, because they wanted to keep the truce between the German government and Britain.
Still, Cyprus came in handy for Britain. When the First World War broke out, England recognized this island as an excellent headquarters for the navy. The government of the United Kingdom then annexed Cyprus from Turkey and set about building naval headquarters and shipping yards. After the signing of the Lausanne Peace Treaty, Cyprus officially became a British colony, and in 1960 the island gained independence.
Why does England need military field headquarters in Cyprus now?
Despite having signed the Zurich-London Treaty over 50 years ago, England continues to maintain about 5% of the island's territory. This area is home to England's major military bases, Akrotiri and Dekelia.
The reason why the government of the country does not leave the territory of the island is simple: the British realize the importance of these military bases in the context of the policy of the West, the Mediterranean region and parts of the Caucasus. In particular, thanks to Cyprus, the UK is able to:
- Conduct reconnaissance operations on the territory of the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, in the south of the Russian Federation, in Crimea and even in Donbass.
- Conduct troop landings in Iraq, Afghanistan and selected Arab countries near the Persian Gulf.
- To control the territory near Cyprus.
- At the same time England does not counteract what is happening on the territory of Cyprus itself. Thus, in 1974, the United Kingdom government made no attempt to prevent the Turkish occupation of the island and prevent the splitting of the sovereign state. The reason for neutrality is the following: it is possible that England is following the idea of reviving Hellenic unity (the union of all Greek-speaking territories and countries). The idea of Hellenic unity is at odds with the West, which plays into England's hands. Most likely, this is the reason why the military bases of the state are located on the Greek part of the island - Cyprus.
