American Air Base in North Cyprus

cyprusjoker


Joined: 29/08/2009
Posts: 1107

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 13:45

Wonder will this ever happen, i would say it would be quite active right about now if it were

slatnumber7


Joined: 25/08/2010
Posts: 299

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 13:55

There was talk of it a couple of years ago if I remember rightly at the site of the CMC in Gemikonagi, it was suggested that it would be just for repairing American aircraft in the Middle East.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 14:46

What would have happened to the Sovereign Base if it had been in Kyrenia instead of Akrotiri? Would TR have asked UK to leave?

Do you think the UK knew what was going to happen in 1974 and chose to locate the SBAs in the South?

One for mmmm perhaps?

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 14:47

The Yanks have always wanted an airbase in the TRNC, to augment the ones (2 I think) they have already in mainland Turkey.

Geoff

Famagusta City

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 16:15

Yes. In fact there was mention of it on here a couple of years ago.

walkerscott


Joined: 13/08/2009
Posts: 901

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 16:29

The Sovereign Base Area would have remained the SBA of the United Kingdom. There would have been a corridor kept free for travel to the other SBA. That's why Turkey were very careful not to trespass near Dhekelia and Ayios Niklolaos https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dx.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akrotiri_and_Dhekelia

Turkey informed the UK Government before the intervention so as to not create alarm or misunderstanding.

The SBA s have been long established from well before RoC independence in the 60s and the airbase is of strategic importance. Dhekelia does not have any strategic importance anymore and can be returned to the people of Cyprus

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 16:52

"Dhekelia does not have any strategic importance anymore and can be returned to the people of Cyprus".



Bet the "listening post" in the place that no longer has any strategic importance anymore is busy these day's second guessing what will happen in Libya!

walkerscott


Joined: 13/08/2009
Posts: 901

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 17:08

Project Echelon is quite capable of listening in from the top of Troodos; it's whether they are capable, as you say, of assessing and analysing the information. Agios Nikolaos can go.



http://old.disinfo.com/archive/pages/dossier/id120/pg1/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echelon_(signals_intelligence)

http://www.thewhyfiles.net/echelon.htm

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/29/038.html

http://www.search.com/reference/ECHELON

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 17:23

But then so could Episkopi for that matter, it servers no useful purpose apart from housing for the senior staff, a nice riding school and sports area and an outdated communications facility that is no longer required either. Pull everything back to the part USA funded air base and keep the 25 square mile secure area as the sole SBA. Works for me - even has its own mole for sea access. Why waste the money on other areas?

walkerscott


Joined: 13/08/2009
Posts: 901

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 18:36

yes, that would no doubt work as long as the airbase is able and capable of expanding when it wishes to. A small operational base with slim down support structure like on Ascension Island ... Oh my God, we've just saved the Nation a couple of Billion Pounds Sterling over the next 5 years!

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 19:19

Standard X rundway configuration from the sea to the north across existing is easy, loads of space provided you don't mind about the go cart track!! Pull everything back inside the salt lake but keep the aerial farm within the boundarys and you have it cracked.



Would never work, the world will be in an uproar over the damage done to the flamingo feeding grounds and in anycase it needs at least 5 years for the idea to go round the files in MoD and by then it will have shut up shop.