Roundup: Greek, Turkish Cypriot youths protest against British military presence in Cyprus

Hundreds of Greek and Turkish Cypriot youths gathered for a protest on Sunday against the British military presence in Cyprus, calling for a reunified Cyprus without the presence of military bases and foreign troops.

The leftist youths gathered on the snow-capped peak of the central Troodos massif and demanded the end of the presence of British bases, as well as other military facilities, on the eastern Mediterranean island.

Standing outside a fenced-off British administration compound and also outside the dome housing radar installations on top of Mount Olympus at a height of nearly 2,000 meters, they chanted slogans against the global policies of both Britain and the United States.

Reports from a state-run Cypriot television a few years ago claimed that the Troodos installations, along with other monitoring facilities in Cyprus, are part of a worldwide NATO electronic web, which monitors both military and civilian communications in the immediate east Mediterranean region and far beyond.

Specialists say the radar installations on Mount Olympus can detect military movements as far as in China.

The protest was organized by Greek Cypriot organization EDON, which is the youth branch of the left wing AKEL opposition party, along with youth organizations of several leftist Turkish Cypriot parties.

Former colonial power Britain retained two sovereign bases in Cyprus, which cover 3 percent of its total area, or about 254 square kilometers, along with other military facilities in several spots, as part of the 1960 arrangements which granted independence to the island.

Though the British bases were questioned by almost all Cypriots, no government, even when AKEL was in power from 2008 to 2013, has ever raised the issue of their removal, as this would mean abrogating the very agreements on which Cyprus' independence is based.

However, the demonstrators urged youths from both communities to work jointly for a reunified Cyprus without the presence of military bases and foreign troops.

Cyprus has been divided into Turkish-Cypriots occupied north and Greek-Cypriots occupied south since 1974 when the Turkish military intervened and took control of the island's north following a coup by a group of Greek officers. The internationally recognized government of Cyprus is run by Greek Cypriots.

The leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities are currently engaged in negotiations which say they offer the best ever chance of reuniting Cyprus.

Hopes for an agreement by this summer have proved to be too ambitious, but Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said in a speech on Sunday that he is confident about reaching a solution before the end of his term in two years. Endi