Turkish Cypriot diaspora

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2006)

Since the founding of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was unilaterally proclaimed in 1983, the internationally recognized government of the Greek Cypriot-controlled Republic of Cyprus has led an economic, political, cultural, and sporting embargo on the Northern Cyprus, followed by the entire international community, with the exception of Turkey (though recently, some parts of the embargo have been softened). The reason of the embargo was that the TRNC was an illegal state according to international community, as a result of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus.

Since the Turkish military invasion and partition of 1974, Turkey has maintained a policy of bringing in thousands of Anatolian settlers to settle in the occupied area, thus changing the demographic character of the island. Greece and Republic of Cyprus states that the systematic colonisation and expulsion of the local Greek Cypriot population as well as the compulsion of the Turkish Cypriots to move to the Turkish occupied areas are all part of Turkey's long-standing expansionist policy. Turkey's obvious aim is to assimilate the part of Cyprus it occupies and to ultimately annex it while Turkey and the de facto TRNC counters that the proportion of Turk to Greek on the island heavily favors Greece and that therefore their allowing Turkish immigration seeks to redress this imbalance.

Demographic analysis and examination of statistical data on arrivals and departures of Turkish Cypriots as well as Turks from Turkey clearly show widespread emigration of the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, who are systematically replaced by an even greater number of mainland Turkish colonists. According to statistical evidence, Turkish Cypriots are forced to emigrate, as a result of unemployment, economic, social and moral degradation as a result of the embargo. It is estimated that 55.000 Turkish Cypriots emigrated, a figure which represents about a third of all Turkish Cypriots.

The effects of the embargo have caused a large number of Turkish Cypriots to move abroad in order to find a better life. According to statistical evidence, press reports and statements by Turkish Cypriot politicians, Turkish Cypriots are forced to emigrate, as a result of unemployment, economic, social and moral degradation and the pressures from Turkish settlers who are given undue privileges. It is estimated that 55.000 Turkish Cypriots emigrated, a figure which represents about a third of all Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriots themselves have become a minority in the occupied area, victims of the colonisation policy of their leadership.

Numbers show that more native-born Turkish Cypriots live outside the Cyprus than within (which means that some estimates state that the number of Turkish settlers in the Northern Cyprus outnumber the Turkish Cypriots that remain). This has been used for propaganda purposes on both sides (The Greek Cypriots view it as a negative vote for the TRNC by the migrants while the other side view it as a move forced upon them by the embargo).

Most of the diaspora can be found in Western Europe; particularly Great Britain. Other sizeable pockets of Turkish Cypriots are located in Australia and North America. A number of these migrants maintain contacts through the Association of Turkish Cypriots Abroad (ATCA).