Bombing commenced

[sophie]

Planes landed back in Akrotiri from Syria at 5am local time. And so it begins!

[kiplet]

Anyone concerned who are residing in TRNC ?
How safe are we ?
Comments please ?

[Fesenjan123]

In today's world you are not safe anywhere I'm afraid:(

[Dalartokat]

That depends on how good the security is at the shore lines and crossings to and from ROC, so your probably as safe as we are in the UK, who knows.

[mikelapta]

Thank God and Allah that TRNC is not a recognised country or there will be fighter aircraft using Getikale.......or maybe Turkey is already thinking of this !!

[waddo]

A better thought would be - Tell me where in the World it is safer than the TRNC?

[petronemma]

The concerns I have are that innocent cypriots and expats are going to end up vulnerable and potentially at risk if ISIS start attempting to blow up places like Akrotiri in retaliation. The whole island will be at risk now that the UK have started airstrikes from the bases on the island. I also feel that all the media articles regarding the airstrikes from the UK bases and heavily naming cyprus will have a disastrous effect on people wanting to come here. Personally i feel safer here than in the UK, but not sure that others will feel the same.

[fatouche]

We can't change any of it, so what's the point in worrying?

[waddo]

Well, it looks like the safest place to live in the world - Iceland! Good Luck.

[tomsteel]

With all the concern as to whether to get involved in Syria (already in Iraq) or not, what is the alternative? Appeasement by the British Government in 1939 failed and history repeats itself. I wonder if those living on Cyprus during the St John's Knights reign here concerned themselves about the Saracens coming to rape, pillage, burn and loot. Few politicians have any genuine concern about the pond-life.

[fatouche]

All this nonsense was decided upon a long time ago. It's all about money and the powrs involved don't give a hoot about people. No amount of marching or petition-signing will make the slightest difference.

[rocking]

I feel much safer here than I would anywhere else. I am listening to a phone in from UK at moment and people are ringing in I am listening to a phone in happening in uk frightened to send kids to school, bombs were dropping all around us in 1944 and we carried on as near as possible our daily lives. Isis must be delighted at the fear people are talking about. Now I do have a "bit of" fear driving here. Think it was1991 when the a south was going to buy surface to air missiles from Russia (they never in the end) the number of people who left the island. Munchy, you must remember that, mass exodus in the January.

[rocking]

First sentence above muddled. Sorry about that, sure you get the gist.

[Maisiemoo]

The bombing in Syria is only an escalation as the RAF have been using Akrotiri to bomb Daesh in Iraq for some time now. Personally I feel safer in NC than the UK

[waddo]

That was during 97/98 and Cyprus did buy the S300 systems from Russia but under political pressure they were never delivered here but instead went to Crete. They were first tested in 2013! Once again it was pressure between Russia and Turkey that stopped the systems from being installed here - then again - it could have had something to do with the USA saying that if Cyprus installed them then the USA would "Render them harmless". You get to take your pick how the USA would have done that and if it was because they had an interest in the Island. Not as long ago as first thought but it did all start off with Turkey overflying the RoC in 94/95.

I am happy to live in the TRNC, much safer than the UK and a lot warmer than Iceland!!

[Makum]

Can't see any problems affecting the TRNC, Turkey and ISIS are the best of buddies.

[Ragged Robin]

Yes, I remember the S300s and all the fuss there was , but I dont remember anyone panicking and leaving the Country.

ISIS seem to be aiming at disestablishing civilian populations and so long as knee jerk reaction is disrupting ordinary people going about their daily business (they guard Embassies, Gvt. Buildings and Royal Palaces but who would expect an attack when relaxing over a cafe and croissant in a cafe for goodness sake?) they are succeeding.

The trouble is those of us remember pre 1944 were babes in arms at the time! Though the Spirit of the Bliiz carried into my early childhood and is still an ancestral memory, many British teenagers dont even know there were World Wars! Most people in Europe, and even more so the USA ( Pearl Harbour and 9/11 notwithstanding) just cannot cope with the effects of war in their backyard. Turks and Turkish Cypriots have longer experience of terrorism and are accustomed to guarding their borders.

Also outside their own area, ISIS seem to be targeting unprotected and unprepared civilians in groups. North Cyprus probably has fewer large cities and occasions where large numbers of civilians gather in one place; and outside actual War zones there are probably more NATO forces on the Island per civilian population than most places - even the vulnerable aging expat Brit sector probably has more retired armed forces personnel (and therefore, one hopes trained in response to crises) than most.

Deus Vult. Inşallah Maşallah

[rocking]

Waddo think was much earlier as I left R on the R 1997, this was quite a few years earlier. My daughter was here for Christmas and when I took her to airport, which you would normally walk through empty in early 90s, there were loads of people I knew flying out, when I asked why they told me, mostly uk people. When I said loads leaving Robin was not referring to Turkish Cypriots they stayed.

[Ragged Robin]

Rocking - yes I assumed that you meant expatriates leaving ,I just do not remember anyone I knew going because of the missiles, my recollection is that in those days we all assumed N. Cyprus was not the safest place in the world and took it as the price we paid , together with some other aspects of the downside, for the advantages of living here.

I cant remember the year, but it must have been after 1996 because I was living here!

Most of my friends actually left post 2004 when the nature of the country started to change and "Little Britain" crept in!

[waddo]

For sure 97/98 as I was here staying up at RAF Episkopi at the time and all the talk in the mess was of the S300's. Lots of worry about what was going to happen just North of Paphos at that time. Was not here in 1990 so no idea why everyone was leaving then.

[tomsteel]

RoC missile deployment was scheduled for '97. I was in HQ BFC on the Staff then and we had serious moments, planning, exercises et al. They were to be sited on Troodos, pointing north. Turkey promised to destroy them as they were deployed (UK Ltd had facilities very near there). Fortunately, the missiles were never deployed and life returned to normal.

[turtle]

Can't see any problems affecting the TRNC, Turkey and ISIS are the best of buddies.

Experience tells me best buddies always fall out for some reason or another........ then get ready !

[Jonnie]

Give in to the fear and they have won, it is what terrorism is all about. I have just returned from a holiday in Sharm that I shared with several others including 2 who came from the UK via Istanbul after having their Monarch flights cancelled and a couple from Paris. I hope we grind ISIS into dust and the Syrians fleeing their country should take up arms against them too instead of expecting the rest of Europe etc to take them in.

My thoughts and support are with our British servicemen and women involved in this at this time, good luck and come back safely.

Andrew Neil says it all here:-

http://www.theguardian.com/global/video ... aris-video