Turkish Cyprus head slams 'UK use of Cyprus base for Israel'

The leader of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has condemned the UK for allegedly using its bases in the country to support Israel's war on Gaza.

Ersin Tatar, leader of the TRNC - which is only recognised as a state by Turkey - told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday: "As a respected state, [the] UK should not support such a massacre [in Gaza]." 

"The Turkish Cypriot people condemned such an incident and never approved of it."

Israel has killed some 15,000 people in Gaza since it began its air and ground assault on the Palestinian territory on 7 October.

The UK, which continues to lend its support to Israel, has sent reinforcements to the Eastern Mediterranean since Israel began its onslaught, including warships and surveillance aircraft. 

British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey visited a UK base in Cyprus a week into Israel's war on Gaza. In November, Heappey said 1,000 extra troops had been sent to Cyprus since 7 October "to support emergency plans and humanitarian efforts in the region".

UK bases in Cyprus have also been used to house deployments from other countries, with the US sending 20 "heavy-lift" aircraft there, Haaretz reported last month.

The Haaretz report suggested that some of the US military aid that landed in Israel had been flown in from Cyprus.

British investigative news site Declassified UK reported that the British Royal Air Force (RAF) had made numerous flights from a Cyprus base to Israel since 7 October.

The British government has since blocked MPs from asking questions about the RAF Akrotiri base, according to Declassified. 

Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides earlier this month dismissed the claims that the UK and US were using the British base in Cyprus to fly personnel to Israel.

"There is no such information, our country cannot be used as a base for war operations," Christodoulides was reported as saying.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan redoubled his call on Monday for the international recognition of northern Cyprus.https://t.co/o6DATPn1rw

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Cypriot officials are reportedly considering implementing a sea corridor to supply Gaza with international humanitarian aid,

Aid for the devastated territory is currently only moving through the Rafah land crossing. 

The TRNC was established in 1983, almost a decade after Turkey invaded northern Cyprus.

Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, which has eased tensions between communities in the north and south of the island.