Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

Constructivism and Diaspora: Turkish and Greek Cypriots in the United Kingdom

Year 2021, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 50 - 66, 20.06.2021

Abstract

This paper aims to pay attention to the effect of diasporas in hostlands towards the national identity formation in homelands. By applying constructivist approach, this paper wants to explain how the national identity is socially constructed and/or strengthened in Cyprus by the help of Turkish and Greek Cypriot diasporas in the United Kingdom. In order to do that Turkish and Greek Cypriots in the UK were investigated through their NGOs, print media and radio stations, and mainly through the ‘Cypriot Diaspora Project’ in detail. And then, the paper tried to answer two main questions. Firstly, ‘can Turkish and Greek Cypriots be defined as a single Cypriot Community in the UK, while they have always tried to separate themselves from each other in Cyprus?’. And secondly, ‘if they are regarded as a single community, can we expect that the change of ideas of Turkish and Greek Cypriot diasporas may lead to the change of attitudes in Cyprus in terms of unification under the influence of constructivist theory?’.

References

  • Bertrand, G. (2004). Cypriots in Britain: Diaspora(s) Committed to Peace? Turkish Studies, Vol.5, No.2, Summer 2004, pp.93-110. DOI: 10.1080/1468384042000228620
  • Coombe, V. & Little, A. (1986). Race & Social Work. Tavistock Publication: London.
  • Finnis, K. A. (2014). Variation within a Greek-Cypriot community of practice in London: Code-switching, gender, and identity. Language in Society, Vol. 43, pp.287–310. doi:10.1017/S0047404514000207
  • Gardner-Chloros, P., McEntee-Atalianis, L. & Finnis, K. (2005). Language Attitudes and Use in a Transplanted Setting: Greek Cypriots in London, International Journal of Multilingualism, Vol.2, No.1, pp.52-80. DOI: 10.1080/17501220508668376
  • Georgiou, M. (2001). Crossing the Boundaries of the Ethnic Home: Media Consumption and Ethnic Identity Construction in the Public Space: The Case of the Cypriot Community Centre in North London. International Communication Gazette, Vol.63, No.4, pp.311-329. ISSN 1748-0485
  • Innes, A.J. (2017). Mobile diasporas, postcolonial identities: the Green Line in Cyprus, Postcolonial Studies, DOI: 10.1080/13688790.2017.1378081.
  • Karatsareas, P. (2018). Attitudes towards Cypriot Greek and Standard Modern Greek in London’s Greek Cypriot community. International Journal of Bilingualism, pp.1–17. DOI: 10.1177/1367006918762158
  • Küçükcan, T. (2004). The making of Turkish‐Muslim diaspora in Britain: religious collective identity in a multicultural public sphere, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol.24, No.2, pp.243-258. DOI: 10.1080/1360200042000296645
  • Ogden, C. (2008). Diaspora meets IR’s Constructivism: An Appraisal. Politics, Vol.28, No.1, pp.1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9256.2007.00304.x
  • Ostergaard-Nielsen, E. (2003). The Democratic Deficit of Diaspora Politics: Turkish Cypriots in Britain and the Cyprus Issue. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol.29, No.4, July 2003, pp.683-700. DOI: 10.1080/1369183032000123459
  • Papapavlou, A. & Pavlou, P. (2001). The interplay of language use and language maintenance and the cultural identity of Greek Cypriots in the UK. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. Vol.11, No.1, pp.92-113.
  • Robins, K. & Aksoy, A. (2001). From spaces of identity to mental spaces: Lessons from Turkish-Cypriot cultural experience in Britain, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol.27, No.4, pp.685-711, DOI:10.1080/13691830120090458
  • Shain, Y. & Barth, A. (2003). Diasporas and International Relations Theory. International Organization, Vol.57, Summer 2003, pp.449-479.
  • Wendt, A. (1999). Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge University Press: UK.

Constructivism and Diaspora: Turkish and Greek Cypriots in the United Kingdom

Year 2021, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 50 - 66, 20.06.2021

Abstract

Yunanca’da ‘tohumların saçılması’ anlamına gelen diaspora, bir etnik-milli topluluğun anavatanından çıkarak başka ülkelere dağılması demektir. Diasporaların temel özelliği ise anavatanla ilişkisini koparmadan yaşamını anavatan dışında sürdürmesidir. Bu tanımdan yola çıkarak, 1920’lerden başlayarak Kıbrıs adasındaki ekonomik ve politik sorunlardan kaçan Kıbrıslı Türk ve Rumlar Amerika, Avustralya, Güney Afrika ve özellikle de İngiltere’ye göç etmişlerdir. O yıllarda İngiltere kolonisi olan adanın Türk ve Rum sakinleri, iş bulmak için İngiltere’yi seçmiş, bu yüzden göç dalgaları 1970’lerin sonuna kadar sürmüştür. Ve orada bir/er diaspora oluşturmuşlardır.
Kıbrıs adasında, Türkler ve Rumlar kendilerini daha çok dinleriyle tanımlarken, İngiltere’deki diasporalarında Kıbrıslı olmaları ön plana çıkar. Kıbrıs Rum Kesimi’nin 2004’te Avrupa Birliği’ne üye olmasıyla birlikte, İngiltere’deki diasporalarında Avrupalı kimliği de vurgulanır. Diğer yandan, 1983’te bağımsızlığını ilan eden Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti’nin İngiltere’deki diasporası ise kendisini sadece Türkiye’nin tanıması nedeniyle çeşitli zorluklar yaşamaktadırlar.
Kıbrıslı Türk ve Rum toplulukları, çoğunlukla Londra’nın kuzeyindeki Wood Green’de 1984’te kurulan Haringey Kıbrıs Toplumu Merkezi’nde bir araya gelmektedir. Ayrı ayrı kurdukları çeşitli görüşlerden kurumlarıyla, İngiliz hükümetinin de desteğini alarak politik ve sosyal alanlarda çeşitli faaliyetlerde bulunmaktadırlar. Bunun yanı sıra, kendi toplulukları için önemli olan günlerde Trafalgar Meydanı’na yürüyerek çeşitli eylemler yapmaktadırlar. Haftalık gazeteler, radyo istasyonları ve internet aracılığıyla da iki toplum arasındaki ve anavatanlarıyla aralarındaki ilişki devam etmektedir. Sonuç olarak, 23 Nisan 2003’te kişilerin ve malların Yeşil Hat üzerinden geçişleri başlamadan önce de İngiltere’deki diasporalarında iki toplum bir arada yaşayabilmektedir.

References

  • Bertrand, G. (2004). Cypriots in Britain: Diaspora(s) Committed to Peace? Turkish Studies, Vol.5, No.2, Summer 2004, pp.93-110. DOI: 10.1080/1468384042000228620
  • Coombe, V. & Little, A. (1986). Race & Social Work. Tavistock Publication: London.
  • Finnis, K. A. (2014). Variation within a Greek-Cypriot community of practice in London: Code-switching, gender, and identity. Language in Society, Vol. 43, pp.287–310. doi:10.1017/S0047404514000207
  • Gardner-Chloros, P., McEntee-Atalianis, L. & Finnis, K. (2005). Language Attitudes and Use in a Transplanted Setting: Greek Cypriots in London, International Journal of Multilingualism, Vol.2, No.1, pp.52-80. DOI: 10.1080/17501220508668376
  • Georgiou, M. (2001). Crossing the Boundaries of the Ethnic Home: Media Consumption and Ethnic Identity Construction in the Public Space: The Case of the Cypriot Community Centre in North London. International Communication Gazette, Vol.63, No.4, pp.311-329. ISSN 1748-0485
  • Innes, A.J. (2017). Mobile diasporas, postcolonial identities: the Green Line in Cyprus, Postcolonial Studies, DOI: 10.1080/13688790.2017.1378081.
  • Karatsareas, P. (2018). Attitudes towards Cypriot Greek and Standard Modern Greek in London’s Greek Cypriot community. International Journal of Bilingualism, pp.1–17. DOI: 10.1177/1367006918762158
  • Küçükcan, T. (2004). The making of Turkish‐Muslim diaspora in Britain: religious collective identity in a multicultural public sphere, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol.24, No.2, pp.243-258. DOI: 10.1080/1360200042000296645
  • Ogden, C. (2008). Diaspora meets IR’s Constructivism: An Appraisal. Politics, Vol.28, No.1, pp.1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9256.2007.00304.x
  • Ostergaard-Nielsen, E. (2003). The Democratic Deficit of Diaspora Politics: Turkish Cypriots in Britain and the Cyprus Issue. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol.29, No.4, July 2003, pp.683-700. DOI: 10.1080/1369183032000123459
  • Papapavlou, A. & Pavlou, P. (2001). The interplay of language use and language maintenance and the cultural identity of Greek Cypriots in the UK. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. Vol.11, No.1, pp.92-113.
  • Robins, K. & Aksoy, A. (2001). From spaces of identity to mental spaces: Lessons from Turkish-Cypriot cultural experience in Britain, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol.27, No.4, pp.685-711, DOI:10.1080/13691830120090458
  • Shain, Y. & Barth, A. (2003). Diasporas and International Relations Theory. International Organization, Vol.57, Summer 2003, pp.449-479.
  • Wendt, A. (1999). Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge University Press: UK.
There are 14 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects International Relations
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Nihan Akıncılar Köseoğlu

Publication Date June 20, 2021
Submission Date April 18, 2021
Acceptance Date May 14, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2021 Volume: 2 Issue: 2

Cite

Chicago Akıncılar Köseoğlu, Nihan. “Constructivism and Diaspora: Turkish and Greek Cypriots in the United Kingdom”. Journal of Anglo-Turkish Relations 2, no. 2 (June 2021): 50-66.

4490jatr@gmail.com