The President of the Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria, Theo Theophanous, has expressed concern over attacks linked to Iran and its proxy group Hezbollah targeting the British military base at RAF Akrotiri.
In a public statement, Theophanous said the ongoing strikes are causing alarm among Australian Cypriots, noting that the base is located near heavily populated areas.
“The attacks on the British Base are continuing. But they are not only attacks on British facilities, infrastructure and personnel. They are attacks on Cypriot citizens and Cyprus itself,” he said.
Theophanous highlighted that thousands of Cypriot civilians live or work in the areas surrounding the base. According to estimates cited in the statement, around 18,000 personnel are located in the base areas, including approximately 12,000 Cypriot citizens, meaning more Cypriots could be at risk than British personnel.
He also warned that the base is situated close to the city of Limassol, a major population centre of around 250,000 residents, raising concerns about the potential impact of further attacks.
The statement also referenced comments attributed to Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabbari of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who reportedly warned of further missile strikes against Cyprus if foreign military activity continued.
For the large Cypriot community in Melbourne, Theophanous said the situation is reviving painful memories of past conflict on the island.
“For the large Cyprus Community in Melbourne this is creating fear and relived trauma as sirens and explosions are heard in Cyprus that remind of the Turkish invasion and conflict in Cyprus that divided the island,” he said, referring to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
Theophanous added that the latest developments come at a delicate time for the island, as efforts continue toward reunification between the Greek Cypriot south and the Turkish Cypriot north. He said the current attacks risk undermining those efforts and called on Turkey to also condemn the strikes, noting they could affect Turkish Cypriots as well.
