Cyprus: Stamps

Len Nadybal


Question: 2005
Enclaves in Cyprus
====================

Might I assume that the following British enclaves,
in the Republic of Cyprus, use stamps of the UK and
have military PO cancels?
Akrotiri




Cyprus
Author Len Nadybal 2005
RCSD Recreation Collecting Stamps Discuss   (newsgroup)

The Sovereign British Base Areas (SBAs) are not enclaves. They are
not "detached pieces of the UK" nor are they surrounded by foreign
territory - there is access to them by sea without having to pass
through Cypriot territory or waters. Inside the fenced compounds in
the base areas there are British military post offices that sell and
use British stamps and cancel mail with BFPO marks. There are aslo
three pieces of Cypriot territory inside the base areas, true exclaves
of Cyprus, one of which contains a town that has a civilian Republic
of Cyprus post office.

There are a number of other international level enclaves and exclaves
on the island formed by UN zones that buttress against parts of the
SBAs with trapped sections of Cypriot land betwen the two, one
detached piece of Turkish Cyprus surrounded by Greek Cyprus and a
piece of land in the UN zone occupied by the Turks. The Turish town
(Kokkina) had a civilian population, but the Turkish Army moved them
all out. Now there are only Turkish troops there, and it can be
presumed that the civilian post office that was at Kokkina is closed.
There's also a British power plant that sits on an exclaved piece of
land in the greek part, outside of the SBA but which is part of it. I
call it "exclaved" because I think that the sea off the coast around
the plant is Cypriot territorial water, but I may be recalling that
incorrectly.

The British Forces Post Office philatelic officials at Mill Hill, near
London, have, from time to time, issued commemorative covers that it
had cancelled at the SBA post offices and which it has sold to
collectors over the years. Commercial covers are plentiful from the
SBA milpos, as the population on the base areas is considerable.
The British also operate a BFPO outside the base areas that serves the
contingent of soldiers from the Base and the UK and those of three
other countries that make up part of the UNFICYP force in the UN zone.

Postal history of enclaves and exclaves is featured at
www.exclave.info and specialists around the world discuss the boundary
issues and peculiarities of enclaves, exclaves, customs excluded
zones, dependent territories, neutral zones, occupied areas and
condominiums at Yahoo.com's "BoundaryPoint" group. The SBAs have been
the subject of past discussion threads, which are all archived at the
site and can be searched. The British Commissioner of the Base Areas
also has a website as does the UN which recently published the UN
proposals there for the area, including shrinkage of the base area
borders to facilitate unification of the two parts of Cyprus in
anticipation of their joining the Euro-currency area, etc.
Have fun!
Regards,
Len Nadybal
Washington DC