Turkey is reportedly considering removing its troops from Cyprus provided that it can leave behind military bases such as the British armed forces currently operate on the island.
As reported by Greek Cypriot daily Phileleftheros on Thursday, the idea has already been suggested to the five permanent members of the UN Security council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Such a move would see a major reduction in Turkish troop numbers, in the event of a solution to the Cyprus problem.
Apparently, this proposal has been made over the heads of the South Cyprus government and President Akinci, although there has been no official statement yet.
Greece and South Cyprus have always said that they will not accept any kind of Turkish military presence on the island. President Anastasiades has repeatedly dismissed the idea of maintaining guarantors after a settlement.
Cyprus Weekly
