A grouping of organisations on Monday called for the ‘decolonisation’ of the British bases in Cyprus on the back of reports that Akrotiri was used in the recent US-led air strikes on Yemen.

In a statement, the platform – calling itself ‘United Kingdom-United States: bases out of Cyprus’ – said “the continued use of the territory of Cyprus for offensive military action further underlines the need to decolonise these bases.”

The platform comprises the following groups: Genocide-Free Cyprus, the Pancyprian Peace Council, Code Pink, Far Right Watch, Palestinian Youth Movement, the Peace & Justice Project, Stop the War Coalition, United for Palestine Cyprus, Afoa, and Spirithkia.
According to the Declassified UK website, Britain provided refuelling support for the United States during the bombardment of Yemen the weekend before the last.

The website said a Royal Air Force (RAF) Voyager aerial refueling tanker carried out two flights from Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus into the northern Red Sea to support the USS Harry S. Truman.

A defence source confirmed to Declassified UK that “the UK provided routine allied air-to-air refuelling support to aid the self defence of a US aircraft carrier in the region from which the strikes were launched.”

The RAF did not announce its involvement.

The first strikes in Yemen lasted for more than five hours.

At least 27 civilians were reported killed and 22 injured in the first night of American air strikes across seven of Yemen’s governorates.