British PM briefs Cypriot president on use of air base for Syrian action

NICOSIA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minster Theresa May has called Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to tell him about the use of a British air base on Cyprus in air strikes against Syrian targets after the action, government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said on Saturday.

"The British Prime Minister fully briefed the President of the Republic on the positions hit by the British planes and clarified that there had been no extensive use of the bases in Cyprus," he said.

"Mrs. May assured President Anastasiades that the Cypriot soil is not in any danger," the spokesman added.

Four British Tornado jets took off at dawn from Akrotiri British sovereign air base close to the southern port city of Limassol, and fired from outside Syria's air space Stormed Shadow missiles which were guided to their targets by pre-programmed GPS.

Prodromou had earlier said that Cyprus did not have any participation in the operation and that it did not receive prior notification of the impending action.

Cyprus essentially has no say in the operations carried out from the two bases Britain, the former colonial ruler, retained in 1960 Cyprus gained independence. However, the bases authorities had in the past notified Cypriot authorities on impending action as a matter of practice.

Cypriot opposition parties, led by left wing AKEL, have made statements strongly deploring the British action. Enditem