Cypriot nationalism, also known as Cypriotism, refers to one of the

nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

s of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

. It focuses on the shared identity of

Greek Cypriots Greek Cypriots or Cypriot Greeks ( el, Ελληνοκύπριοι, Ellinokýprioi, tr, Kıbrıs Rumları) are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2011 census, 659,115 ...

and

Turkish Cypriots Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( tr, Kıbrıs Türkleri or ''Kıbrıslı Türkler''; el, Τουρκοκύπριοι, Tourkokýprioi) are ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,0 ...

regarding their "Cypriotness", highlighting their common Cypriot culture, heritage, traditions, and economic, political, and social rights. Cypriot nationalism supports the peaceful reunification of Cyprus and the end of interference of external powers in its domestic affairs. Some Cypriotists advocate a

confederal A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

federal state A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...

, while others express a preference for a

unitary state A unitary state is a sovereign state governed as a single entity in which the central government is the supreme authority. The central government may create (or abolish) administrative divisions (sub-national units). Such units exercise only ...

instead. Cypriot nationalists consider Cypriots as one nationality and even ethnicity, referring to linguistic distinction between Cypriots as "Greek"-speaking Cypriots and "Turkish"-speaking Cypriots, rather than two separate ethnic groups. On the level of practical politics, Cypriotism is generally associated with the Left, both in Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot politics. The most important political parties supporting a Cypriot nationalist agenda are the

Progressive Party of Working People The Progressive Party of Working People ( el, Ανορθωτικό Κόμμα Εργαζόμενου Λαού, ; abbr. , AKEL; tr, Emekçi Halkın İlerici Partisi) is a Marxist–LeninistHelena Smith, Cyprus gets ready for a communist 'takeove ...

(AKEL) among Greek Cypriots and the

Republican Turkish Party The Republican Turkish Party ( tr, Cumhuriyetçi Türk Partisi, CTP) is a social democracy, social-democratic List of political parties in Northern Cyprus, political party in Northern Cyprus. The party was founded in 1970 by Ahmet Mithat Berberoğ ...

(CTP) among Turkish Cypriots. Not all leftists advocate Cypriotism; for example, the

Movement for Social Democracy The Movement for Social Democracy ( el, Κίνημα Σοσιαλδημοκρατών, translit=Kinima Sosialdimokraton, EDEK) is a Greek Cypriot, social-democratic political party in Cyprus. Overview The party was founded by Vasos Lyssaridis i ...

(EDEK) combines a left-wing economic agenda with a Greek Cypriot nationalist approach to the Cyprus problem. Cypriotism is further officially supported by the Union of Cypriots. There are also

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere. During 1930s,

Turkish Cypriot Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( tr, Kıbrıs Türkleri or ''Kıbrıslı Türkler''; el, Τουρκοκύπριοι, Tourkokýprioi) are ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,0 ...

and

Greek Cypriot Greek Cypriots or Cypriot Greeks ( el, Ελληνοκύπριοι, Ellinokýprioi, tr, Kıbrıs Rumları) are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2011 census, 659,115 r ...

communities began outspokenly criticizing the British presence in the island. The Governor

Richmond Palmer Sir Herbert Richmond Palmer (25 April 1877 – 22 May 1958) was an English barrister, who became a colonial supervisor for Britain during the inter-World War period. He served as a Lieutenant Governor in Nigeria, Governor and Commander-in-Chief ...

was one of the people who used the term of "Cypriot nationalism" in his report dated 23 October 1936, while explaining the situation to London by mentioning: With the rise of the internationalist ideas of both

liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...

and the

political Left Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

, variants of a Cypriot identity began to be cultivated and espoused by native Cypriot political groups (both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot), most notably the

(AKEL), the liberal

United Democrats The United Democrats ( el, Ενωμένοι Δημοκράτες (ΕΔΗ), ''Enomenoi Dimokrates'' (EDI)) is a liberal political party in Cyprus. The party was founded by former President of Cyprus George Vasiliou in 1993 as ''Kinima Elefther ...

and organisations like the Union of Cypriots. The

Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of intercommunal violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and in response to a Greek junta-s ...

, which followed a coup d’état in Cyprus ordered by the military junta in Greece, led to a revival of Cypriot nationalism.

Opposition to Cypriotism

Cypriotism is strongly opposed by both Greek (and Greek Cypriot) nationalists and Turkish (Turkish Cypriot) nationalists.Vamik Volkan, Cyprus: War and Adaptation
/ref> Among Greek Cypriots identifying as Greeks above all else, the central political slogan has always been "Cyprus is Greek". Political parties such as

DIKO The Democratic Party ( el, Δημοκρατικό Κόμμα (ΔΗΚΟ), ''Dimokratikó Kómma'' (DIKO)) is a Greek-Cypriot nationalist, centrist political party in Cyprus founded in 1976 by Spyros Kyprianou. DIKO is variously described as cent ...

, EDEK and the Greek nationalist wing of DISY, as well as the

Church of Cyprus The Church of Cyprus ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Κύπρου, translit=Ekklisia tis Kyprou; tr, Kıbrıs Kilisesi) is one of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox churches that together with other Eastern Orthodox churches form the communio ...

, dismiss Cypriotism as a betrayal of Greek history and identity, and a sell-out to foreign interests who wish for Cyprus to submit to Turkish aggression. Among Turkish Cypriots, the idea of Cypriotism was vociferously rejected by the long-serving Turkish Cypriot leader

Rauf Denktaş Rauf Raif Denktaş (27 January 1924 – 13 January 2012) was a Turkish Cypriot politician, barrister and jurist who served as the founding president of Northern Cyprus. He occupied this position as the president of the Turkish Republic of Nor ...

, a Turkish nationalist and partitionist who believed that "in Cyprus there are Greeks and Turks", and that "the only true Cypriot is the Cyprus donkey". Accordingly, UBP, the political party founded by him, believes that Cypriot nationalism is a Greek ploy to subjugate and assimilate Turkish Cypriots.

Adoption of aspects of Cypriotism by some Greek Cypriot nationalists

President

Tassos Papadopoulos Efstathios "Tassos" Nikolaou Papadopoulos ( el, Ευστάθιος (Τάσσος) Νικολάου Παπαδόπουλος; 7 January 1934 – 12 December 2008) was a Cypriot politician and barrister who served as the fifth president of Cyp ...

, generally seen as a Greek nationalist, can be said to have adopted a strategy of Cypriot nationalism (called "a strategy of osmosis" by him) by which he offered individual benefits to Turkish Cypriots (such as

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

passports, free medical care, employment opportunities etc.) while at the same time maintaining a very hard line towards the (internationally unrecognised) breakaway Turkish Cypriot administration. Thus Papadopoulos hoped to cultivate an allegiance to the Government of Cyprus among some Turkish Cypriots, and exacerbate the already existing tensions between the Turkish Cypriots and the

Turkish settlers in Northern Cyprus The Turkish settlers (Cypriot Turkish: , "those from Turkey"), also referred to as the Turkish immigrants ( tr, Türkiyeli göçmenler), are a group of Turkish people from Turkey who have settled in Northern Cyprus since the Turkish invasion of Cyp ...

.Dimitris Konstantakopoulos, ''Papadopoulos rebukes "friends"'', O Kosmos toy Ependyti, June 5, 2004

Opposition to Cypriotism

Adoption of aspects of Cypriotism by some Greek Cypriot nationalists

See also

References

Further reading