Turkish Cypriots
Encyclopedia
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking
ethnolinguistic
community of the Eastern Mediterranean
island of Cyprus
. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571. About 30,000 Turkish soldiers were given land once they settled in Cyprus, which bequeathed a significant Turkish community; today's Turkish Cypriots.
in mid-May 1570 and conquered it within a year
from Venetian
rule. The Turkish arrival to the island was welcomed by the Greek Cypriots
as it was an improvement on Catholic domination and on the principle that anybody was better than the Venetians. After the defeat of the Venetians in 1571, the Turkish commander, Lala Mustafa Paşa, chose 12,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalrymen to stay behind as colonists. Furthermore, a substantial number of Turkish soldiers and their families from the Mediterranean region of Turkey
, approximately 20,000, went to Cyprus and were given fiefs on the island. A fief was a parcel of real estate given by Sultan Selim II
to his soldiers in return for their service to him. By the late sixteenth century there was an estimated 40,000-60,000 Turks in Cyprus.
Throughout the Ottoman rule, the demographic ratio between Christian "Greeks" and Muslim "Turks" fluctuated constantly. By 1777-1788 the Turkish Muslim (and some Greek Muslim) population constituted the majority on the island, with 40,000 Muslim Turks and 37,000 Christian Greeks. In 1788-1792 Turks were estimated at 45,000 compared to 40,000 Greeks. However, by 1841, Turks made up 27% of the island's population. The reason for this decline is because the Turkish community were obliged to serve in the Ottoman army for years, usually away from home, very often losing their lives in the endless wars of the Ottoman Empire
.
By 1878, during the Congress of Berlin
, Cyprus was 'rented' to the British
with the condition that Britain would come to the Ottoman Empire's aid in case of a Russian attack. However, in 1914, the Ottoman Empire established an alliance with Germany
, Britain annexed Cyprus, and the island became a British colony. At this time, Cyprus' Muslim inhabitants were asked to choose between adopting British nationality and retaining their Ottoman subject status; this resulted in 4,000-8,500 Muslim Turks choosing to leave the island and move to Turkey. By July 1923, Turkey
accepted that Cyprus
had become a British territory under the Treaty of Lausanne
and almost half of the Turkish community, approximately 15,000, immigrated to Turkey. Furthermore, the Great Depression
of 1929 brought economic depression to Cyprus
with unemployment and low wages. Thus, Turkish Cypriots started to immigrate in small numbers to the United Kingdom
and the United States
during the 1930s for economic reasons.
In 1950 a referendum was held by the Greek Cypriots in which 95.7% of eligible Greek Cypriot voters cast their ballots in supporting a fight aimed at enosis
, the union of Cyprus with Greece
. By 1955, the Greek Cypriot fight for enosis was led by an armed organisation called EOKA
by Georgios Grivas which aimed at bringing down British rule and uniting the island of Cyprus with Greece
. Turkish Cypriots had always reacted immediately against the objective of enosis; thus, the 1950s saw many Turkish Cypriots who were fleeing the EOKA
. By 1958, Turkish Cypriots set up their own armed group called TMT
and by early 1958, the first wave of armed conflict between the two communities began, a few hundred Turkish Cypriots left their villages and quarters in the mixed towns and never returned.
By 16 August 1960, the island of Cyprus became an independent state, the Republic of Cyprus, with power sharing between the two communities under the 1960 Zurich agreements
, with Britain, Greece and Turkey as Guarantor Powers. Archbishop Makarios III
was elected as president by the Greek Cypriots and Dr. Fazıl Küçük
was elected as vice-president by the Turkish Cypriots. The two ethnic groups continued to pursue their separate objectives of enosis
and taksim. In December 1963, in events known as Bloody Christmas (:tr:Kanlı Noel), Greek Cypriots initiated a military campaign against the Turkish Cypriots, after which intercommunal clashes continued until 1974. Turkish Cypriots suffered heavier casualties and some 25,000 Turkish Cypriots became internally displaced, amounting to about a fourth of their population. This resulted in an exodus of Turkish Cypriots, with the majority migrating to the United Kingdom
while others went to Turkey
, North America
and Australia
.
With the rise to power of the Greek military junta in 1967, a group of right-wing Greek extremists
supporting the union of Cyprus with Greece
created an organisation called EOKA B
and staged a coup in 1974. This led to a military offensive by Turkey
which used its right as one of the guarantor states and invaded the island
. After the Turkish invasion and the ensuing 1975 Vienna agreements, 60,000 Turkish Cypriots who lived in the south of the island fled to the north. The 1974-1975 movement was strictly organised by the Provisional Turkish Administration who tried to preserve village communities intact.
Thus, Cyprus was divided into two zones, separated by the green line
, which was first established in 1964. In the north, the Turkish Cypriots first declared the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus
in 1975, and in 1983 they unilaterally declared the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
which has since remained internationally unrecognized except by Turkey. In April 2004, a referendum of the Annan Plan to reunite the island was strongly approved by Turkish Cypriots (64.9% voting “yes”) whilst it was strongly rejected by the Greek Cypriots (75.8% voting “no”).
In the 300 years of Ottoman rule in Cyprus, the Turks built mostly religious buildings on the island. Hala Sultan Tekke
near the salt lake
in Larnaka.) and the Mevlevi Tekke in Nicosia
are considered to be the most important two tekkes.
is relatively distinct from standard Turkish
used in Turkey as it is more casual than the formal standard Turkish. The words (mainly verbs) have short, cut ends with some lengthy vowels at the end of each sentence. For example, instead of saying 'ne yapiyorsun?' (what are you doing?), the Cypriot dialect shortens this to 'napan?'.
However, since the establishment of the TRNC, mainland Turkish has become more influential; the influence of Turkish television has also contributed to this.
s, Sirtos
, Zeybeks, Ciftetellis / Arabiyes, and Topical Dances (such as Orak, Kozan, Kartal and Topal). The folk dancing groups usually have performances during national festivals, weddings, Turkish nights at hotels and within tourism areas.
According to the 2006 Northern Cyprus Census, there was 145,443 Turkish Cypriots who were born and currently living in North Cyprus. Of the Cypriot-born population, 120,007 had both parents born in Cyprus
; 12,628 had one of their parents born in Cyprus and the other born in another country. Thus, 132,635 Turkish Cypriots had at least one parent born in Cyprus.
There was significant Turkish Cypriot emigration from the island during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, mainly to Great Britain
, Australia
, and Turkey
. Emigration from Cyprus has mainly been for economical and political reasons. According to the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2001, 500,000 Turkish Cypriots were living in Turkey
; 200,000 in Great Britain
; 40,000 in Australia
; some 10,000 in North America
; and 5,000 in other countries (mainly in Germany
).
A more recent estimate, in 2011, by the Home Affairs Committee states that there is now 300,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the United Kingdom whilst Turkish Cypriots themselves claim that the British-Turkish Cypriot community has reached 400,000. Furthermore, recent estimates suggest that there is now 60,000 Turkish Cypriots living in Australia.
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
ethnolinguistic
Ethnolinguistics
Ethnolinguistics is a field of linguistics which studies the relationship between language and culture, and the way different ethnic groups perceive the world. It is the combination between ethnology and linguistics. The former refers to the way of life of an entire community i.e...
community of the Eastern Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean
The Eastern Mediterranean is a term that denotes the countries geographically to the east of the Mediterranean Sea. This region is also known as Greater Syria or the Levant....
island of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571. About 30,000 Turkish soldiers were given land once they settled in Cyprus, which bequeathed a significant Turkish community; today's Turkish Cypriots.
History
Ottoman troops landed in CyprusCyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in mid-May 1570 and conquered it within a year
Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573)
The Fourth Ottoman–Venetian War, also known as the War of Cyprus was fought between 1570–1573. It was waged between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, the latter joined by the Holy League, a coalition of Christian states formed under the auspices of the Pope, which included Spain , the...
from Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
rule. The Turkish arrival to the island was welcomed by the Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
as it was an improvement on Catholic domination and on the principle that anybody was better than the Venetians. After the defeat of the Venetians in 1571, the Turkish commander, Lala Mustafa Paşa, chose 12,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalrymen to stay behind as colonists. Furthermore, a substantial number of Turkish soldiers and their families from the Mediterranean region of Turkey
Mediterranean Region, Turkey
The Mediterranean Region is one of Turkey's seven census-defined geographical regions . It is bordered by the Aegean Region to the west, the Central Anatolia Region to the north, the Eastern Anatolia Region to the northeast, the Southeastern Anatolia Region to the east, Syria to the southeast, and...
, approximately 20,000, went to Cyprus and were given fiefs on the island. A fief was a parcel of real estate given by Sultan Selim II
Selim II
Selim II Sarkhosh Hashoink , also known as "Selim the Sot " or "Selim the Drunkard"; and as "Sarı Selim" or "Selim the Blond", was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1566 until his death in 1574.-Early years:He was born in Constantinople a son of Suleiman the...
to his soldiers in return for their service to him. By the late sixteenth century there was an estimated 40,000-60,000 Turks in Cyprus.
Throughout the Ottoman rule, the demographic ratio between Christian "Greeks" and Muslim "Turks" fluctuated constantly. By 1777-1788 the Turkish Muslim (and some Greek Muslim) population constituted the majority on the island, with 40,000 Muslim Turks and 37,000 Christian Greeks. In 1788-1792 Turks were estimated at 45,000 compared to 40,000 Greeks. However, by 1841, Turks made up 27% of the island's population. The reason for this decline is because the Turkish community were obliged to serve in the Ottoman army for years, usually away from home, very often losing their lives in the endless wars of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
By 1878, during the Congress of Berlin
Congress of Berlin
The Congress of Berlin was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the meeting's aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans...
, Cyprus was 'rented' to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with the condition that Britain would come to the Ottoman Empire's aid in case of a Russian attack. However, in 1914, the Ottoman Empire established an alliance with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Britain annexed Cyprus, and the island became a British colony. At this time, Cyprus' Muslim inhabitants were asked to choose between adopting British nationality and retaining their Ottoman subject status; this resulted in 4,000-8,500 Muslim Turks choosing to leave the island and move to Turkey. By July 1923, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
accepted that Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
had become a British territory under the Treaty of Lausanne
Treaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
and almost half of the Turkish community, approximately 15,000, immigrated to Turkey. Furthermore, the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of 1929 brought economic depression to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
with unemployment and low wages. Thus, Turkish Cypriots started to immigrate in small numbers to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the 1930s for economic reasons.
In 1950 a referendum was held by the Greek Cypriots in which 95.7% of eligible Greek Cypriot voters cast their ballots in supporting a fight aimed at enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
, the union of Cyprus with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. By 1955, the Greek Cypriot fight for enosis was led by an armed organisation called EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
by Georgios Grivas which aimed at bringing down British rule and uniting the island of Cyprus with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Turkish Cypriots had always reacted immediately against the objective of enosis; thus, the 1950s saw many Turkish Cypriots who were fleeing the EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
. By 1958, Turkish Cypriots set up their own armed group called TMT
TMT
TMT may refer to:* Tandem mass tag, a label used for quantitative mass spectrometry–based proteomics* Tarsometatarsal articulations* Technology, Media, Telecommunications – an investment sector, e.g., late-1990s TMT bubble...
and by early 1958, the first wave of armed conflict between the two communities began, a few hundred Turkish Cypriots left their villages and quarters in the mixed towns and never returned.
By 16 August 1960, the island of Cyprus became an independent state, the Republic of Cyprus, with power sharing between the two communities under the 1960 Zurich agreements
Zürich and London Agreement
The Zürich and London Agreement for the constitution of Cyprus started with an agreement on the 19 February 1959 in Lancaster House in London, between Turkey, Greece, the United Kingdom and Cypriot community leaders...
, with Britain, Greece and Turkey as Guarantor Powers. Archbishop Makarios III
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
was elected as president by the Greek Cypriots and Dr. Fazıl Küçük
Fazil Küçük
Fazıl Küçük was the first Vice President of the Republic of Cyprus.Fazıl Küçük, the son of a farmer, was born in Nicosia in 1906. After graduating from the Turkish High School in Nicosia, Küçük went on to study medicine at the Universities of Istanbul, Lausanne and Paris...
was elected as vice-president by the Turkish Cypriots. The two ethnic groups continued to pursue their separate objectives of enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
and taksim. In December 1963, in events known as Bloody Christmas (:tr:Kanlı Noel), Greek Cypriots initiated a military campaign against the Turkish Cypriots, after which intercommunal clashes continued until 1974. Turkish Cypriots suffered heavier casualties and some 25,000 Turkish Cypriots became internally displaced, amounting to about a fourth of their population. This resulted in an exodus of Turkish Cypriots, with the majority migrating to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
while others went to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
With the rise to power of the Greek military junta in 1967, a group of right-wing Greek extremists
Greek nationalism
Greek nationalism has its roots in the rise of nationalism in Europe in the 19th century, and was characterised by the struggle for independence against the Ottoman Empire, culminating in the Greek War of Independence , assisted by philhellenes such as Lord Byron.After independence was achieved,...
supporting the union of Cyprus with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
created an organisation called EOKA B
EOKA B
EOKA-B was a Greek Cypriot paramilitary organisation formed in 1971. It followed a right-wing nationalistic ideology and had the ultimate goal of achieving the enosis of Cyprus with Greece...
and staged a coup in 1974. This led to a military offensive by Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
which used its right as one of the guarantor states and invaded the island
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
. After the Turkish invasion and the ensuing 1975 Vienna agreements, 60,000 Turkish Cypriots who lived in the south of the island fled to the north. The 1974-1975 movement was strictly organised by the Provisional Turkish Administration who tried to preserve village communities intact.
Thus, Cyprus was divided into two zones, separated by the green line
United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus
The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus runs for more than along what is known as the Green Line and has an area of . The zone partitions the island of Cyprus into a southern area effectively controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus , and the northern area...
, which was first established in 1964. In the north, the Turkish Cypriots first declared the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus
Turkish Federated State of Cyprus
Turkish Federated State of Cyprus in Turkish. The state which is occurred between 1975 and 1983.The UN General Secretary came to Cyprus on 25–26 December 1974, and demanded that bilateral talks be initiated between the two communities...
in 1975, and in 1983 they unilaterally declared the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus...
which has since remained internationally unrecognized except by Turkey. In April 2004, a referendum of the Annan Plan to reunite the island was strongly approved by Turkish Cypriots (64.9% voting “yes”) whilst it was strongly rejected by the Greek Cypriots (75.8% voting “no”).
Culture
Religion
The majority of Turkish Cypriots (99%) are Sunni Muslims. Turkish Cypriots are not conservative and many do not actually practice the religion. For example, alcohol is frequently consumed by Turkish Cypriots and women dress casually. In fact, the majority of Turkish Cypriots are overwhelmingly secular. However, religion still plays a role within the community; for example, Turkish Cypriot boys are generally circumcised at a young age in accordance with religious beliefs; however, this practice appears more related to custom and tradition than to powerful religious motivation.In the 300 years of Ottoman rule in Cyprus, the Turks built mostly religious buildings on the island. Hala Sultan Tekke
Hala Sultan Tekke
Hala Sultan Tekke or the Mosque of Umm Haram is a very prominent Muslim shrine near Larnaca, on the island of Cyprus. Umm Haram was the Islamic prophet Muhammad's wet nurse and the wife of Ubada bin al-Samit....
near the salt lake
in Larnaka.) and the Mevlevi Tekke in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
are considered to be the most important two tekkes.
Language
The Cypriot Turkish dialectCypriot Turkish
Cypriot Turkish, known locally as Kıbrıs Türkçesi, is a Turkish dialect spoken by Turkish Cypriots.- History :Cypriot Turkish is the vernacular spoken by Turkish Cypriots both in Cyprus and among its diaspora....
is relatively distinct from standard Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
used in Turkey as it is more casual than the formal standard Turkish. The words (mainly verbs) have short, cut ends with some lengthy vowels at the end of each sentence. For example, instead of saying 'ne yapiyorsun?' (what are you doing?), the Cypriot dialect shortens this to 'napan?'.
However, since the establishment of the TRNC, mainland Turkish has become more influential; the influence of Turkish television has also contributed to this.
Music and dances
Folk music and dancing is an integral part of social life among Turkish Cypriots. Traditional Turkish Cypriot folk dances can be divided into 5 categories: KarsilamaKarsilama
Karsilamas , is a Turkish folk dance spread all over Northwest Asia Minor and carried to Greece by Asia Minor refugees...
s, Sirtos
Syrtos
Syrtos , is the collective name of a group of Greek folk dances. Syrtos, along with its relative kalamatianos, are the most popular dances throughout Greece and are frequently danced by the Greek diaspora worldwide. They are very popular in social gatherings, weddings and religious festivals...
, Zeybeks, Ciftetellis / Arabiyes, and Topical Dances (such as Orak, Kozan, Kartal and Topal). The folk dancing groups usually have performances during national festivals, weddings, Turkish nights at hotels and within tourism areas.
Demographics
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
; 12,628 had one of their parents born in Cyprus and the other born in another country. Thus, 132,635 Turkish Cypriots had at least one parent born in Cyprus.
| Place of Birth | Turkish Cypriot population who were born in Cyprus and who are permanent residents in the TRNC (2006 Census) |
Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Cyprus | 112,534 | 56,332 | 56,202 |
| Lefkoşa Lefkoşa District Lefkoşa District is a district of Northern Cyprus. It is divided into two sub-districts: Lefkoşa Sub-district and Değirmenlik Sub-district. Its population was 84,776 in 2006. Its kaymakam is Müslüm Aykılıç.... |
54,077 | 27,043 | 27,034 |
| Gazimağusa Gazimağusa District Gazimağusa District is a district of Northern Cyprus. It is divided into three sub-districts: Mağusa Sub-district, Akdoğan Sub-district and Geçitkale Sub-district. Its capital is Famagusta. Its population was 63,603 in 2006. Its kaymakam is Beran Bertuğ.... |
32,264 | 16,151 | 16,113 |
| Girne | 10,178 | 5,168 | 5,010 |
| Güzelyurt Güzelyurt District Güzelyurt District is a district of Northern Cyprus. It is divided into two sub-districts: Güzelyurt Sub-district and Lefke Sub-district. Its capital is Morphou. Its population was 29,264 in 2006. Its kaymakam is Menteş Gündüz.... |
10,241 | 5,013 | 5,228 |
| İskele İskele District İskele District is a district of Northern Cyprus. It is divided into three sub-districts: İskele Sub-district, Mehmetçik Sub-district and Yeni Erenköy Sub-district. Its capital is Trikomo. Its population was 21,099 in 2006. Its kaymakam is Bünyamin Merhametsiz.The district has been separated from... |
4,617 | 2,356 | 2,261 |
| District not Indicated | 1,157 | 601 | 556 |
| South Cyprus | 32,538 | 15,411 | 17 127 |
| Nicosia Nicosia District For the district of Northern Cyprus, see Lefkoşa District.Nicosia District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is the island country's capital city, Nicosia... (Lefkoşa) |
3,544 | 1,646 | 1,898 |
| Famagusta Famagusta District Famagusta District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is the island's most important port, Famagusta. The city of Famagusta is currently controlled by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus .... (Gazimağusa) |
1,307 | 598 | 709 |
| Larnaca Larnaca District Larnaca District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is Larnaca. A small part of the district was occupied by the Turkish army in 1974.... (Larnaka) |
6,492 | 3,031 | 3,461 |
| Limassol Limassol District Limassol District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is Limassol. Part of the British overseas territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia forms an enclave on the Akrotiri peninsula, under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.... (Limasol) |
9,067 | 4,314 | 4,753 |
| Paphos Paphos District Paphos District is one of the six districts of Cyprus and it is situated in the western part of Cyprus. Its main town and capital is Paphos. The entire district is controlled by the internationally recognized government of Cyprus... (Baf) |
11,955 | 5,750 | 6,205 |
| District not Indicated | 173 | 72 | 101 |
| Cyprus - North or South region not Indicated | 371 | 178 | 193 |
| Total | 145,443 | 71,921 | 73,522 |
Diaspora
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Emigration from Cyprus has mainly been for economical and political reasons. According to the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2001, 500,000 Turkish Cypriots were living in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
; 200,000 in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
; 40,000 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; some 10,000 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
; and 5,000 in other countries (mainly in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
).
A more recent estimate, in 2011, by the Home Affairs Committee states that there is now 300,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the United Kingdom whilst Turkish Cypriots themselves claim that the British-Turkish Cypriot community has reached 400,000. Furthermore, recent estimates suggest that there is now 60,000 Turkish Cypriots living in Australia.
Famous Turkish Cypriots
- Adam BoothAdam BoothAdam Booth is a British boxing trainer. He is best known as the trainer of English professional boxer, and former WBA World Heavyweight Champion David Haye. Booth's father is a Turkish Cypriot and his training camp is based in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus...
- Boxing Trainer and Manager to David HayeDavid HayeDavid Deron Haye is a retired English professional boxer,Haye is the former WBA heavyweight champion. He is also the former unified world cruiserweight champion, holding the WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring cruiserweight titles, and also the former European cruiserweight champion.- Amateur :Haye... - Alparslan TürkeşAlparslan TürkesAlparslan Türkeş was a Cypriot-born Turkish nationalist politician who was the founder and former president of the Nationalist Movement Party party...
- Far Right Nationalist Leader in Turkey - Alp MehmetAlp MehmetAlp Mehmet is a former British diplomat and one of the United Kingdom's first two ethnic minority ambassadors, along with Anwar Choudhury....
- UK Ambassador to Iceland 2004 - 2008 - Asil NadirAsil NadirAsil Nadir is a Turkish Cypriot businessman, who was Chief executive of Polly Peck, which he took over as a small textile company, growing it during the 1980s to become one of the United Kingdom's top 100 FTSE-listed companies, with interests in consumer electronics, fruit distribution and packaging...
- Former CEO of Polly Peck International PLC - Billy MehmetBilly MehmetBilly Mehmet is an Irish professional football player who plays for Australian A-League club Perth Glory. Born in England, Mehmet is of part English, Irish and Turkish Cypriot descent and has played for the Republic of Ireland U21 team.Mehmet is the youngest ever player to have played in a first...
- Scottish Premier League footballer - Colin Kazim-RichardsColin Kazim-RichardsColin Kazim-Richards , commonly known as Colin Kâzım, Kâzım or Kâzım Kâzım, is an English-born Turkish footballer who plays for Galatasaray, and internationally for Turkey having qualified for Turkish nationality through his mother's ethnicity...
- GalatasarayGalatasarayGalatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...
and Turkish International Football Player - Derviş EroğluDervis ErogluDr. Derviş Eroğlu is the President of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He was Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus from 1985 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2004, and leader of the National Unity Party. His party won the general elections in 2009 and Eroğlu...
- Current President of the Turkish Republic of Northern CyprusTurkish Republic of Northern CyprusNorthern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus... - Fatih TerimFatih TerimFatih Terim, Commendatore OSSI, is a Turkish football former player and manager. Terim was born in Adana, Turkey to Nuriye and Talat Terim. His father, Talat, is a Turkish Cypriot who emigrated to Turkey....
- Football manager of GalatasarayGalatasarayGalatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,... - Fatima WhitbreadFatima WhitbreadFatima Whitbread MBE is a British former javelin thrower and multiple medal-winner.-Early life:...
- World Champion Javelin Thrower - Fazıl KüçükFazil KüçükFazıl Küçük was the first Vice President of the Republic of Cyprus.Fazıl Küçük, the son of a farmer, was born in Nicosia in 1906. After graduating from the Turkish High School in Nicosia, Küçük went on to study medicine at the Universities of Istanbul, Lausanne and Paris...
- First Vice-President of the Republic of Cyprus - Feri CanselFeri CanselFeriha "Feri" Cansel was a Turkish Cypriot actress.She was born Lefkoşa , Cyprus and spent her early youth in the United Kingdom, acquiring British citizenship and she became a hairdresser in London...
- Actress - Hal OzsanHal OzsanHalil Özşan, better known as Hal Ozsan , is a British actor and singer-songwriter of Turkish Cypriot descent. He is best known for his roles as Michael Cassidy in the hit ABC Family series Kyle XY, Todd Carr in the WB's Dawson's Creek, and Miles Cannon in 90210.-Life:Ozsan was born to Turkish...
- Actor (Dawson's CreekDawson's CreekDawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
, Kyle XYKyle XYKyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle...
) - Haldun DormenHaldun DormenHaldun Dormen is a famous Turkish theatre, movie and TV series actor and film director. Dormen is of Turkish Cypriot descent.- Biography :...
- Actor - Hussein ChalayanHussein ChalayanHussein Chalayan MBE is a British/Turkish Cypriot fashion designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1993.- Biography :...
- Fashion Designer - İsmet GüneyIsmet Güneyİsmet Vehit Güney , was a Cypriot artist, cartoonist, teacher and painter. He is best known as the designer of the modern flag of the Republic of Cyprus, the country's coat of arms and the original Cyprus lira in 1960...
- (Artist) Creator of the Republic of Cyprus flag - Kemal IzzetKemal IzzetKemal Izzet is an English professional footballer. He currently plays for Colchester United. His father is a Turkish Cypriot, and his older brother, Mustafa Izzet, was a Turkish international footballer.-Career:...
Colchester United Football Player - Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin PashaKibrisli Mehmed Emin PashaKıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Paşa , was an Ottoman statesman of Turkish Cypriot origin who served at the top post of grand vizier during three different times under the reign of the sultan Abdülmecid I...
- 3-times Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Grand VizierGrand VizierGrand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
in mid-19th century - Kıbrıslı Mehmed Kamil PashaKibrisli Mehmed Kamil PashaKâmil Pasha , also spelled as Kiamil Pasha was an Ottoman statesman of Turkish Cypriot origin in the late 19th century and early 20th century, who became, as aside regional or international posts within the Ottoman state structure, grand vizier of the Empire during four different periods.He was...
- 5-times Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Grand VizierGrand VizierGrand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
in late-19th and early-20th century - Leon OsmanLeon OsmanLeon Osman is an English football player who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He has spent his whole career as an Everton player, though he has spent time on loan at Carlisle United and Derby County.-Biography:...
- Everton Football Player - Lawrence RustemLawrence RustemLawrence Rustem, has been active in the BNP since 1991 and was the Chairman of the "Ethnic Liaison Committee" of the British National Party, a group set up in 2001 to co-ordinate work between the party and non-British people with similar aims. Rustem is half English and half Turkish Cypriot.He...
- Councillor for British National Party - Mehmet Ali TalatMehmet Ali TalatMehmet Ali Talat is the former President of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He was the leader of the left wing Republican Turkish Party . He became prime minister in 2004, and subsequently won the Presidential election held on 17 April 2005...
- Second President of the Turkish Republic of Northern CyprusTurkish Republic of Northern CyprusNorthern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus... - Mehmet Nazım Adil - NaqshbandiNaqshbandiNaqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
Sufi Sheikh - Meral EceMeral EceMeral Hussein Ece, Baroness Hussein-Ece, OBE is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords. She is the first woman of Turkish Cypriot origin to be a member of either house of Parliament after she was appointed a Liberal Democrat working peer on May 28, 2010.-Early life:Baroness Hussein-Ece...
OBE - Baroness House of Lords - Metin HuseyinMetin HüseyinMetin Hüseyin is a British television and film director.-Biography:His debut film, Tight Trousers, was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Short Film in 1989, and in 1998 he received an RTS award and a British Academy Television Award nomination for Common as Muck and The History of a...
- Film Director - Muzzy Izzet - Former Leicester and Birmingham City Football Player
- Nil BurakNil BurakPembe Nihal Munsif , better known as Nil Burak, is a Turkish Cypriot pop singer and actress who is famous in Turkey.-Biography:...
- Singer - Niyazi BerkesNiyazi Berkes- Biography :Berkes was born in Nicosia on 21 October 1908. He started his secondary education in Cyprus, Nicosia. During his education, he later, went to Istanbul and graduated from Istanbul Erkek Lisesi in 1928. In 1931, Berkes graduated from the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Literature...
- Sociologist - Osman TürkayOsman TürkayOsman Türkay was a Turkish Cypriot poet and was a nominee for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988....
- Poet, nominee for the Nobel Prize for Literature - Özker ÖzgürÖzker ÖzgürÖzker Özgür was a leading Turkish-Cypriot politician. Özgür, whose last name means “free” was born in 1940 in the village of Vretça, Paphos, Cyprus. During 1961-1975 he worked as a secondary school English teacher on the island. With the votes of the teachers, he was elected to the founding...
- Politician - Rauf DenktaşRauf DenktasRauf Raif Denktaş is the founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , a de facto state which is only recognized by Turkey...
- First President of the Turkish Republic of Northern CyprusTurkish Republic of Northern CyprusNorthern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus... - Suat GünselSuat GünselDr. Suat İrfan Günsel is a Turkish Cypriot entrepreneur, businessman and founder of the Near East University...
, Businessman and billionaire - Tamer HassanTamer HassanTamer Hassan is a British actor of Turkish Cypriot descent.-Early life:Hassan was born in London, England into a Turkish Cypriot family. Having sustained an injury in boxing, Hassan started to run nightclubs and restaurants and is now the owner, chairman and player/coach of Greenwich Borough and...
- Actor - Tracey EminTracey EminTracey Karima Emin RA is a British artist of English and Turkish Cypriot origin. She is part of the group known as Britartists or YBAs ....
- Artist - Vamik VolkanVamik VolkanVamık D. Volkan, M.D. is a Turkish-Cypriot emeritus professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine...
- Psychoanalyst and Author - Zeki AlasyaZeki AlasyaZeki Alasyam is a Turkish actor and director. Alasya is of Turkish Cypriot descent and is the cousin of Kıbrıslı Mehmed Kamil Pasha....
- Actor - Ziynet SaliZiynet SaliZiynet Sali is a British-Turkish Cypriot singer famous in Cyprus and Turkey.-Biography:Ziynet was born in Cyprus on April 29, 1975 to Turkish Cypriot parents. Her father had been living in the United Kingdom since 1963 and had met her mother once he returned to his native Cyprus whilst he was on...
- Singer
See also
- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
- Turkish Cypriot diasporaTurkish Cypriot diasporaThe Turkish Cypriot diaspora is a term used to refer to the Turkish Cypriot community living outside the island of Cyprus.-History:In 1914, Britain annexed the island of Cyprus when the Ottomans joined World War I against the Allied Forces...
- Northern Cypriot passportNorthern Cypriot passportHolders of a Northern Cypriot Citizen passport can visit 7 countries in the world. According to the Northern Cypriot government, these countries are: Australia, Pakistan, France, Syria, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.-External links:*...
- CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
- Greek CypriotsGreek CypriotsGreek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
- Cypriot refugees
- List of Cypriots
- Cypriot TurkishCypriot TurkishCypriot Turkish, known locally as Kıbrıs Türkçesi, is a Turkish dialect spoken by Turkish Cypriots.- History :Cypriot Turkish is the vernacular spoken by Turkish Cypriots both in Cyprus and among its diaspora....
Further reading
- Baybars, Taner, Plucked in a far-off land, London: Victor Gollancz, 1970.
- Beckingham, C. F., The Cypriot Turks, Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society, vol. 43, pp. 126–30, 1956.
- Beckingham, C. F., The Turks of Cyprus, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and IrelandRoyal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and IrelandThe Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland is the world's longest established anthropological organization, with a global membership. Since 1843, it has been at the forefront of new developments in anthropology and new means of communicating them to a broad audience...
. vol 87(II), pp. 165–74. July-Dec. 1957. - Beckingham, C. F., Islam and Turkish nationalism in Cyprus, Die Welt des Islam, NS, Vol 5, 65-83, 1957.
- Committee on Turkish Affairs, An investigation into matters concerning and affecting the Turkish community in Cyprus: Interim report, Nicosia: Government Printing Office, 1949.
- Dandini, Jerome. Voyage du Mont Liban / traduit de l'Italien du R. P. Jerome Dandini ... Ou il est traité tant de la créance ... des Maronites, que des plusieurs particularitez touchant les Turcs ... avec des remarques sur la theologie des chrétiens & ... des mahometans. Par R. S. P.
- Jennings, Ronald C., Christians and Muslims in Ottoman Cyprus and the Mediterranean World, 1571–1640, New York University Studies in Near Eastern Civilization-Number XVIII, New York University Press, New York and London, 1993-Acknowledgments ix-xi + 428 pp.
- Oakley, Robin, The Turkish peoples of Cyprus, in Margaret Bainbridge, ed, The Turkic peoples of the world. (pp. 85–117), New York: Kegan Paul, 1993
External links
- Historical Origins of Turkish Cypriot People
- Oral histories of Turkish Cypriots in Britain
- History of Turkish Cypriots in Britain
- Reassessing what we collect website – Turkish Cypriot London History of Turkish Cypriot London with objects and images
- Turkish Cypriots of Australia - Historical Book
- North Cyprus Turkish Youth Club of Victoria
- Association of Turkish Cypriots Abroad
- Turkish Cypriot Lobby Group in the UK
- North Cyprus Turkish Community Centre of Victoria