Residents in the Akrotiri area of Cyprus are opposing a British plan to install 32 new military communications antennas, citing fears over radiation, according to reports in the press.
Reports suggest the UK has announced its intention to add the antennas at the sovereign base area, prompting strong objections from locals in the nearby community of Kourion.
Mayor Pantelis Georgiou said he believes the installations increase cancer risks.
Fileleftheros reported that the Kourion municipality has sought legal advice following public pressure, and some residents are prepared to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
The papers noted that Akrotiri already hosts a large number of antennas.
Other reports linked the UK’s decision to a drone strike on the base on March 1, during U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliation.
Under the 1960 Cyprus independence agreements, Britain retains two sovereign base areas at Akrotiri and Dhekelia, along with a radar station on Mount Troodos and several other military sites across the island.
