- published: 18 Feb 2015
- views: 13342
The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Greek: Περιοχές Κυρίαρχων Βάσεων Ακρωτηρίου και Δεκέλειας, Perioches Kyriarchon Vaseon Akrotiriou kai Dhekeleias Turkish: Akrotiri ve Dikelya İngiliz Üsleri) are two British-administered areas comprising a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus administered as Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom. The bases were retained by the British, under the 1960 treaty of independence, agreed and signed by the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey and representatives from the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, which granted independence to the Crown colony of Cyprus.
The bases are split into Akrotiri (Greek: Ακρωτήρι, IPA: [akro̞ˈtiri]; Turkish: Ağrotur) which, along with Episkopi Garrison, comprises an area known as the Western Sovereign Base Area or WSBA) and Dhekelia (Greek: Δεκέλεια, IPA: [ðe̞ˈke̞ʎa]; Turkish: Dikelya) which, along with Ayios Nikolaos, comprises the Eastern Sovereign Base Area or ESBA.
The Sovereign Base Areas were created in 1960 by the Treaty of Establishment, when Cyprus achieved independence from the British Empire. The United Kingdom desired to retain sovereignty over these areas, as this guaranteed the use of UK military bases in Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri, and a garrison of the British Army. The importance of the bases to the British is based on the strategic location of Cyprus, at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, close to the Suez Canal and the Middle East; the ability to use the RAF base as staging post for military aircraft; and for general training purposes.
They called it stormy Monday, but Tuesday is as just as
Oh they called it, they called it stormy Monday, but
Tuesday, Tuesday is as just as bad
Oh, Wednesday is worst, and Thursday, oh so sad
The eagle flies on Friday, now Saturday I'll go out to
play
Oh the eagle, the eagle flies on Friday Saturday I'll
go out and play
Sunday I'll go to church, and I fall on my knees and
pray
I say, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me
But Lord, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me
You know I'm crazy 'bout my baby Lord, please send my
baby back on to me
Help me out here man, help me out
Sun rise in the east, it set up in the west
Yes, the sun rise in the east baby, and it set up in
the west
It's hard to tell, it's hard to tell, it's hard to
tell, which one, which one, which one a little bad
Yeah! Go ahead, do it one more time
Oh the eagle flies on Friday, Saturday I'll go out to
play
Oh the eagle flies on Friday, you know Saturday I'll go
out to play
Sunday I'll go out to the signify church
Oh when I'll fall down on my knees and pray
I say, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me
Lord, Lord, Lord have mercy on me
Please, have mercy on me
You know I'm crazy, crazy 'bout my baby
Please, send her back, send her back on to me