UK colonialism on full display over official attitude to Cyprus [cyprus] The UK’s Chief of Defence Staff has publicly said that Cyprus is [effectively Great Britain’s aircraft carrier –][1] showing the true colonial colours of the very top of the UK’s armed forces. Sir Richard Knighton rejected suggestions that the UK should deploy naval assets to the Middle East. He was also accused of leaving the country’s assets “underprepared”. [He said][2]: > We don’t need the carrier. We don’t need the Navy. We have an aircraft carrier – it’s called Cyprus. Then, he [pointed][3] out that the UK’s Royal Air Force could launch F-35 jets from its Akrotiri air base in Cyprus. The UK [stationed][4] these there last month. ## Cyprus: illegal occupation from the UK The UK previously occupied and colonised the entire Island of Cyprus. In 1960, Greece, Turkey, and the UK all signed an agreement that guaranteed the independence, territorial integrity, and security of Cyprus. And the reality is that Cyprus is still not independent. Turkey has [occupied][5] the northern third of the Island since the country invaded illegally in 1974. To make matters worse, the UK still [controls][6] over 250 square kilometres of Cypriot territory. This constitutes two military “Sovereign Base Areas“, as well as a host of additional “British-retained sites”. > When Cyprus got its independence from Britain, the UK illegally cleaved off sections to keep for itself as sovereign bases > > The Brits should end their illegal occupation [https://t.co/cwORnQ29ww][7] [pic.twitter.com/zRms91ALFS][8] > > — Aidan Simardone (@AidanSimardone) [March 1, 2026][9] These “crucial sites” – RAF Akitori and Dhekelia- include an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a sports field. > When Cyprus got its independence from Britain, the UK illegally cleaved off sections to keep for itself as sovereign bases > > The Brits should end their illegal occupation [https://t.co/cwORnQ29ww][10] [pic.twitter.com/zRms91ALFS][11] > > — Aidan Simardone (@AidanSimardone) [March 1, 2026][12] The UK’s presence in Cyprus has become more controversial since [October 7. ][13]The bases have been used to host US forces, along with providing equipment and logistical support to Israel. It was also used as a base for UK air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Essentially, the UK is occupying land in a sovereign country to spy on and now bomb the Middle East. ## US involvement If things weren’t bad enough, top secret documents published by Edward Snowden revealed that every UK spy site on Cyprus is actually a joint UK-US base: > Top Secret (Strap1) document leaked by Edward Snowden > > First time we knew the specifics of UK spy sites on its Cyprus colonies > > First time we knew that every single one was a joint site with US spies > > Snowden did the world a major service – a hero for the ages [pic.twitter.com/oCqRzDlSal][14] > > — Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) [March 17, 2026][15] The document [states][16] that: > Cyprus hosts a wide range of UK and US intelligence facilities: Importantly, the documents also reveal that the US’s National Security Agency (NSA) provides 50% of the funding for the SOUNDER Comsat facility. This is a top secret surveillance station located in Ayios Nikolaos, Cyprus, which is part of RAF Dhekelia. > We continue to sustain and strengthen our partnership with the US/NSA and with other 5-Eyes agencies. GCHQ’s Cyprus collection facilities are acknowledged by NSA as important assets that make a major contribution to UKUSA. Under the ECHELON Agreement, NSA provides 50% of the funding for the SOUNDER Comsat facility. According to [*Al Jazeera*][17]: > Cyprus was – and still is – of substantial strategic interest to Washington, particularly in its role as an offshore intelligence facility for surveillance of the Middle East. *Declassified UK* [also revealed that:][18] > [129][19] US airmen are permanently deployed to RAF Akrotiri, which is a staging post for bombing campaigns across the Middle East. The US spy force, the 1st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, is also permanently deployed at Akrotiri. The UK should not still be occupying Cyprus or sharing military bases, assets, or intelligence with the US regime, which started an illegal and unprovoked war on Iran, another sovereign nation. Cyprus is a sovereign nation with over 1.2m inhabitants. Yet now, Sir Richard Knighton’s words suggest it is merely an “aircraft carrier” which would, in essence, make it a valid military target. Of course, this is bullshit. His comments show that Britain’s overseas bases are nothing but another example of the UK’s colonial military overreach. *Featured image via [TLDR News/YouTube][20]* By [HG][21] [1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/03/cyprus-co… [2]: https://x.com/NavyLookout/status/2032032373752107417 [3]: https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/03/12/we-have-an-aircraft-ca… [4]: https://theaviationist.com/2026/02/07/uk-reinforces-akrot… [5]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/21/erdogan-says-tur… [6]: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/3/9/the-occupiers… [7]: https://t.co/cwORnQ29ww [8]: https://t.co/zRms91ALFS [9]: https://twitter.com/AidanSimardone/status/202823489164145… [10]: https://t.co/cwORnQ29ww [11]: https://t.co/zRms91ALFS [12]: https://twitter.com/AidanSimardone/status/202823489164145… [13]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2024/08/07… [14]: https://t.co/oCqRzDlSal [15]: https://twitter.com/kennardmatt/status/203384490589884425… [16]: https://www.eff.org/files/2015/08/04/20150803-intercept-c… [17]: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/3/9/the-occupiers… [18]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/u-s-spies-have-wide-range-… [19]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/u-s-spies-have-wide-range-… [20]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeKOl8jbVRg [21]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/hg/ https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/17…