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Abstract:In recent years, certain political changes have occurred in the Turkish Cypriot community with the accession of Cyprus to the European Union. Policies and parties in favor of this accession accepted the idea of a united Cyprus; the majority of the Turkish Cypriots (65%) voted in favor of a Cypriot identity. Such political transformations affected education as well. As one of the results of these new policies, a course entitled "Turkish Cypriot Literature" was introduced in schools. In this article we report a study on the ideology, content and instruction of the TCL course. In this study a questionnaire was given to high school teachers and students in order to find out their views about the ideology, content and instruction of the course. In addition, the authors of the TCL literary history were interviewed to gather their views on the content and ideology of the course. This study shows that a new ideology has been accepted by teachers, students and the authors of literary history. According to them the TCL course helps to contribute to the Turkish Cypriot culture and its values. In regard to the content of the TCL course it can be noted that the content of TCL is accepted by both the teachers and the students. However, the authors of the TCL literary history point to the fact that there are deficiencies and irrelevant subjects in the content of the TCL courses. The other research question of the study is to determine the views of the teachers and the students on the way TCL is taught. The teachers and the students are hesitant about the effectiveness of such instruction.Keywords: mother tongue education, education in Cyprus, educational policy, Cyprus secondary education, politics of language education, literature education. Dutch. Samenvatting. [Translation Tanja Janssen]In de afgelopen jaren hebben zich bepaalde politieke veranderingen voorgedaan in de Turk-Cypriotische gemeenschap met de toetreding van Cyprus tot de Europese Unie. Politieke stromingen en partijen die voor de toetreding waren, accepteerden het idee van een verenigd Cyprus; de meerderheid van TurksCyprioten (65%) stemde voor een Cypriotische identiteit. Zulke politieke veranderingen hebben een weerslag gehad op het onderwijs. Eén van de gevolgen van de nieuwe politiek was de introductie van een 36 PEHLIVAN cursus "Turks-Cypriotische literatuur" (TCL) op scholen. In dit artikel doen wij verslag van een onderzoek naar de ideologie, inhoud en vorm van de TCL cursus. In het onderzoek gaven wij docenten en leerlingen een vragenlijst om hun mening te achterhalen op de ideologie, inhoud en vorm van de cursus. Daarnaast werden de auteurs van de TCL literatuurgeschiedenis geïnterviewd over hun mening over de inhoud en ideologie van de cursus. Het onderzoek toont aan dat een nieuwe ideologie geaccepteerd is door docenten, leerlingen en de auteurs van de literatuurgeschiedenis. Volgens hen kan de TCL cursus een bijdrage leveren aan de Turks-Cypriotische cultuur en waarden. Met betrekking tot de inhoud van de TCL cursus kan opgemerkt worden dat...

Using the mixed methods approach this study examines Turkish Cypriots' medium of instruction policies from their settlement to Cyprus to now. Through the use of document analysis relevant studies have been examined. Findings demonstrate ideologies and methods of governance of nations that ruled Cyprus influenced the language policy. Though either Turkish, Greek or English was the official language of Cyprus, Cypriot Turks have always followed Turkey for their policy of medium of instruction. The language used in Turkey has always been the orthodox and respected language for Cypriot Turks. However, the medium of instruction in English brought on by the British during the colonial period has maintained its importance. Today, this is not due to a loyalty to Britain, but results from the desire to educate individuals for the global world.

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