Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government on what basis the decision to permit the development of private property within British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus was made; whether the Turkish-Cypriot community was consulted about this decision; if not, why not; and what is their current evaluation of the validity of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, in relation to this decision.

In 2014 UK Government and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus signed an arrangement on the regulation of non-military development in the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs). On 9 June the next stage in this arrangement was reached which will lead to the lifting of many restrictions on land and property development within the non-military areas of the SBAs for all Cypriots.

The UK regularly engages with the Turkish Cypriots through our High Commission in Nicosia. This engagement has included discussions on non-military development, on which the views of the Turkish Cypriots were sought on several occasions both before and after its signature in 2014.

The UK's principal responsibility under the Treaty of Guarantee is to recognise and guarantee the independence, territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Cyprus.