00:03This ex-post by left-wing French MEP Manon Aubrey has resurfaced in recent days,
00:10generating buzz online after it was reposted and community noted.
00:14She posted a video of herself in Akrotiri, a British overseas territory in Cyprus,
00:20known alongside its sister territory, Dekalia, for their military bases.
00:24She says that their presence in Cyprus shows that part of the country is still
00:29occupied by the British Army.
00:31In response, social media users attached a community note to the post,
00:35explaining that Akrotiri and Dekalia are covered by the 1960 treaty establishing Cyprus's independence.
00:42They added that this is unlike the north of the country,
00:45which the vast majority of the international community considers to be under Turkish military occupation.
00:51Here at the Cube, we spoke to experts to try to break down some of the nuances,
00:56which you can read more about on our website.
00:58They said that, ultimately, it's a complex question.
01:02Legally speaking, the UK is not occupying Cyprus, because the base areas are recognised
01:07under international law, including by Cyprus itself.
01:11Some pointed out that, unlike the situation in the north,
01:15the Cypriot government oversees vast aspects of civilian daily life there,
01:19that it has good relations with the UK, and there's a lot of legislative alignment
01:24between the base areas and Cyprus.
01:27However, experts stress that the 1960 agreement establishing the territories
01:31was ultimately signed under duress, with the UK as the colonial power exerting pressure on
01:37Cyprus to agree to letting it keep the land in exchange for independence.
01:42At the end of the day, the consensus among experts appears to be that the bases are a remnant of
01:47colonialism,
01:48yet the term occupation in this case is overly simple and emotionally loaded.
01:53So, let's get started.
01:53So, let's get started.
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