Cyprus takes no part in any planning on Syria: spokesman

NICOSIA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus is not involved in any way in the planning by other countries in relation to possible military operations against Syria, government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said on Wednesday.

Prodromou was commenting on reports that British Prime Minister Theresa May is considering air strikes against Syria in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons against the residents of Douma.

If a decision is made for air strikes by Britain, it is certain that they will be carried out from the Akrotiri RAF base on the south shores of Cyprus, from where British jets currently make strikes only against Islamic State targets in Syria.

There are currently six Tornado and eight Typhoon fighter-bombers at Akrotiri air base, which Britain retained as a sovereign area of 123 square kilometers when Cyprus gained its independence in 1960.

"Cyprus has no participation at all, and there has been no consultation whatsoever in relation to the planning of other countries," Prodromou said when asked to comment on the possibility of Britain using its base for strikes against Syria.

"It is well known that the area (at Akrotiri) is a British base," he added.

Meanwhile, the Cypriot Flight Information Center in Nicosia said that it has not made any changes to current air paths for planes as reported by some airlines.

"We have been notified by Eurocontrol to be ready to close the air corridors in the vicinity in case there is military action. It was a routine message and there was no need to make any changes yet," said Haris Antoniades, the center's director. Enditem