Deal allows Cyprus to develop land in British sovereign base areas

Historic agreement' is said to enable Cypriots to sell or develop properties in the post-colonial military zones

Sixty-two years after the end of British rule, Cyprus has taken another step out of the shadow of its colonial past with a deal that ushers in the biggest change in land use on the island since independence.

Describing the accord as groundbreaking, the president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, said it would enable thousands of Cypriots to develop properties in the sovereign base areas" Britain has long held on to in the Mediterranean country. That, he said, would not only yield multiple benefits" but correct distortions and imbalances" in the lives of residents living in villages incorporated in the facilities.