Western Sovereign Base Area in the context of "Akrotiri Salt Lake"

Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri (IATA: AKT, ICAO: LCRA) (Greek: Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου, romanized: Vasilikí Polemikí Aeroporía Akrotiríou; Turkish: Kraliyet Hava kuvvetleri Ağrotur) is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory, administered as a Sovereign Base Area.

The station was constructed in the mid-1950s, and was the base for operations during the Suez Crisis in 1956, the EOKA revolt, and monitoring of the Egypt / Israel Suez Canal fighting and cease-fire in the 1970s. It went on to be used during the reception of American casualties after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and was used during the retaliatory attacks against Libya in 1986. It played a major role as a transit point for personnel evacuations out of Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon War and was used as a staging base for support aircraft involved in Operation Ellamy, the UK's contribution to the NATO-led military intervention in Libya, in 2011.

Akrotiri Bay (Greek: Κόλπος Ακρωτηρίου, romanized: Kólpos Akrotiríou; Turkish: Limasol Körfezi) is a part of the Mediterranean Sea east of the Akrotiri Peninsula on the southern coast of the island of Cyprus. The Western Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory set up after Cypriot independence was gained and was unanimously agreed with the British Empire that sovereign bases could be set up for use in the event of an invasion, administered as a Sovereign Base Area, borders the bay. The city of Limassol is also located on the bay. The southern end of the bay is formed by Cape Gata.