Open borders, closed minds: the discursive construction of national identity in North Cyprus

The article investigates the discursive construction of a Turkish Cypriot national identity by the newspapers in North Cyprus. It questions the representation and reconstruction processes of national identity within the press and examines the various practices employed to mobilize readers around certain national imaginings. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, the article analyses news reports of the opening of border crossings in Cyprus in 2003, based on their content, the strategies used in the production of national identity and the linguistic means employed in the process. In this way, the nationalist tendencies embedded in news discourses, as well as discriminatory and exclusive practices, are sought out

The European Union and the Cyprus problem: a story of limited impetus

This article discusses the role of the European Union (EU) in the Cyprus problem before and after accession in 2004. It is argued that, before 2004, Brussels provided limited incentives to the Greek Cypriots to contribute to resolution but, on the other hand, triggered a pro-solution/ EU trend amongst the Turkish Cypriots. On the contrary, in the post-accession era, the EU’s aptitude to contribute to a solution has further decreased: Greek Cypriots remain with inadequate EU-induced motivation to pursue resolution, while the pro-solution/ EU feelings of the Turkish Cypriots have receded, also due to Brussels’ failure to fulfill their expectations. While most of the literature on Cyprus has focused on the pre-accession period, the article offers a much needed insight into the EU’s role before and after Cyprus’ EU entry. The article draws on a variety of data, including a series of elite interviews conducted in Belgium and Cyprus

'Turks' in London: shades of invisibility and the shifting relevance of policy in the migration process

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The European Union, borders and conflict transformation: the case of Cyprus

Much of the existing literature on the European Union (EU), conflict transformation and border dynamics has been premised on the assumption that the nature of the border determines EU intervention and the consequences that flow from this in terms of EU impact. The article aims to transcend this literature through assessing how domestic interpretations influence EU border transformation in conflict situations, taking Cyprus as a case study. Moreover, the objective is to fuse the literature on EU bordering impact and perceptions of the EU’s normative projection in conflict resolution. Pursuing this line of inquiry is an attempt to depart from the notion of borders being constructed solely by unidirectional EU logics of engagement or bordering practices to a conceptualization of the border as co-constituted space, where the interpretations of the EU’s normative projections by conflict parties, and the strategies that they pursue, can determine the relative openness of the EU border

Media narratives, politics and the Cyprus problem

Media, politics and the Cyprus Problem are the main themes of the present study. Through analysis of Greek and Turkish Cypriot television news bulletins and newspaper editorials and leading articles, the study seeks to establish media approaches and positions on important issues so as to better understand their work, role and functions. The study analyses practices and positions related to the Cyprus Problem, the solution, matters of identity, the ‘others’ and the European Union, the authorities and the political forces. This attempt to ascertain the underlying values that guide news selection and content will provide a clearer picture of how the media interacts with or influences society

Independent Cyprus? Postcoloniality and the spectre of Europe

This essay reflects on the postcolonial condition in Cyprus and argues that political independence does not mean the end of colonialism. Power is not merely what prevents people from doing what they wish to do but also, and more importantly, what colonises the mind and predisposes them to think and act in specific ways. The main contention of the essay is that 'independent' Cyprus is ruled by the idea of Europe and the desire to be recognised and confirmed as a modern European society. The essay further argues that it is largely because of this idea that Greek and Turkish Cypriots have not managed to live together on this island. They have been trying to reach this phantom destination - modernity - travelling apart

Cyprus-EU Relations: Possible Scenarios For The Future

Cyprus Problem is being discussed from a different perspective since the application of South Cyprus for full membership to the European Union. Today the problem came to a turning point where the efforts for solving the problem would end up at a point where the division of the island becomes permanent. The study first evaluates the relations between Cyprus and the Union. Then it examines the application of GCA to the EU, the reasons for application, Turkish Cypriot’s response to the application and possible future scenarios that are likely to take place. It is concluded that the acceptance of Cyprus to the Union in its current state is a highly possible scenario and this would lead to the permanent division of the island.Cyprus problem; EU; Turkish Cyprus; GCA

Football and the Cyprus conflict

This essay looks at football's role in the Cyprus conflict since Turkish Cypriot clubs broke away from the Cyprus Football Association in 1955. Studying the history of football in the context of the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots after the island's invasion by Turkey in 1974, and subsequent declaration of independence in 1983, it examines football's role in trying to establish the idea of Turkish Cyprus as a nation, including the launching of a national team and the hosting of a tournament for fellow pariah national teams. The essay looks into the impact of such lobbying as to how FIFA eventually intervened to host a first official meeting between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot associations and how football has been manipulated for political ends. This research was presented as a paper at the Play The Game conference from October 28 to November 2 2007. A written paper was published in the journal Soccer and Society in 2010

The importance of organizing activities of the Turkish Cypriot Community in the process of becoming a state (1957-1960)

In this study, organization process of the Turkish Cypriot Community between 1957 and 1960 was examined. This study claims that this process was important, because it formed the basis of Turkish Cypriots’ becoming a state.It can be said that there are two main views about organization process of Turkish Cypriots in researches which were examined for this study. Researchers such as Ahmet An and Niyazi Kızılyürek allege that this process was Turco-British collusion to divide Turkish and Greek Cypriots who had lived together peacefully for centuries. According to researchers such as Ahmet C. Gazioğlu and Ulvi Keser; Turkish Cypriots started an organization process to protect themselves from Greek Cypriots’ hostility and attacks.  However, it seems that the relationship between organization process of the Turkish Cypriot Community and Turks’ becoming a state has not been handled yet.After the Great Britain took over the rule of Cyprus from the Ottoman Empire by the Cyprus Convention in 1878, the British established a Legislative Council. Greek Cypriots who desired to realize enosis (union with Greece) made attempts to pass enosis memorandums in the Council. On the contrary, Turkish Cypriots who saw union with Greece as a threat to their safety avoided these attempts with help of the British. Moreover, Turks published various newspapers and journals to voice their objections to enosis. Both these efforts and anti-Turkish feelings caused Greek Cypriots’ attacking Turkish Cypriots. In order to protect themselves from these attacks and conduct effective struggle against enosis, Turkish Cypriots set up assemblies, political parties, farmer and trade unions, social associations and armed organizations from 1918 to 1957. However, it was 1957 when these organization activities became continuous process. Hence the Turkish Cypriot Community was organized in terms of, military, administration, economy and culture during the period between 1957 and 1960. Turkish states which were founded between 1964 and 1983 were based on these organizations.   Considering this fact, the study is composed of two main parts. The first part summarizes the organization efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Community between 1918 and 1957. The second part focuses on the organization process of the Turkish Cypriot Community between 1957 and 1960

Protecting well-being in face of perceptions of discrimination: extending the rejection identification model among low-status Turkish Cypriots

This research contributes to the development of a greater understanding of the intergroup relations between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots in Cyprus. We focus, specifically, on the perspective of the low-status groups members, the Turkish Cypriots, and on the outcomes in terms of well-being. 234 citizens participated through and online questionnaire. In line with the Rejection-Identification Model, we found an indirect effect of perceived discrimination on well-being through the identification with the in-group. The model was extended to include the contact and culture adoption based ingroup acculturation. Results show that ingroup acculturation does not substitute ingroup identification as a protective mechanism, but derives from it. Finally, we analyzed the moderation effect of out-group identification on the effect of in-group identification on well-being, showing greater well-being when Turkish Cypriots choose a dissociative strategy. Results are discussed in the context of intergroup relations model’s adaptation to the study of deeply divided societies