Identity Fluctuations in the Turkish Cypriot Community

Abstract

This paper investigates identity fluctuations in the 'Turkish-Cypriot' community and argues that identity descriptions do not necessarily overlap with ethno-cultural boundaries. Age and education-related identity fluctuations emerge as responses to variations in the socialization process. Although the notion of 'Turkish Cypriots' implies a unitary entity, a marked cleavage mainly between two identity categories is apparent. Self-descriptions based on civic conceptualizations of identity compete with ethno-national identity and transcend community boundaries. Therefore, despite an official 'ethno-national' identity being imposed, 'Cypriotness' suggests a model comprising individuals from various ethnonational backgrounds. Data come from a probabilistic sample of 415 Turkish Cypriots who ranked components of collective identity (Cypriot, Turkish, Moslem, and European) from the 'most important' to the 'least important'.

Conflicting Perspectives of Residents in the Karpaz Region of Northern Cyprus towards Tourism Development

“…However, the future status of Turkish settlers remains one of the most contentious issues in the Cyprus negotiations, and the Turkish Cypriot community is similarly divided on the issue (Loizides, 2011). Significantly, according to a survey by Vural and Rustemli (2006) there are significant differences in how Turkish settlers and Turkish Cypriot natives relate to the civic component of identity (Cypriotness). In their survey only 4.7% of Turkish settlers gave "Cypriotness" as their most important identity (compared to 35.8% for native Turkish Cypriots), whereas 56% identified themselves with "Turkishness" (44% for native participants).…”

Redefining Identity in the Turkish-Cypriot School History Textbooks: A Step Towards a United Federal Cyprus

“…A recent survey shows that in the Turkish-Cypriot community, the perception of collective identity fluctuates according to politicalideological stands. The differences in the socialization process lead to fluctuations in identity descriptions and in some cases, perception of collective identity transcends ethno-cultural boundaries (Vural & Rustemli 2006). Turkish-Cypriot ethno-nationalism narrates the Turkish-Cypriots as a natural extension of the Turkish nation and links the Greek-Cypriots with Greece and the Greek nation.…”

Seeking to Transform the Perceptions of Intercommunal Relations: The Turkish-Cypriot Case (2004–2009)

“…Moreover, the reactions of immigrants/settlers to political issues including the Cyprus problem seem to differ significantly from those of native TurkishCypriots. 67 Two sample t-tests were carried out to determine the differences between pupils from native Turkish-Cypriot families and pupils from immigrants/settlers in perceptions about intercommunal relations (see Table 3). In order to compare the perceptions of the two groups (pupils from native Turkish-Cypriot parents and pupils from immigrants/settlers), 26 pupils from mixed families and 2 pupils who did not identify family origin were excluded.…”