Cyprus Blog-Eurovision Olivia Lopez

 Welcome to my blog post! This post will work within the Country of Cyprus. Currently, Cyprus is involved with the Eurovision Malmö 2024 competition, located in Sweden. ☺☺☺ 

eurovision.tv current Cyprus contestent (Silia Kapsis) 

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Cyprus Efforts with National Identity

“National Identity,” as Anna Tryandafyllidou (1998) considered in the essay “National Identity and the ‘other,’ is described and alluded to as the bond between one’s to ones nation that gives a sense of belonging. This identity does not necessarily count for what their nation has to offer, as it may also include what one nation does not offer that another permits. Estonia profits from this phenomenon, where the Post Soviet identity is no longer aligned with its newfound brand, whilst expressing this with the slogan “Welcome to Estonia, Positively Transforming,” (Jordan pg. 284). Ultimately, nations re-identify themselves to encourage separation from their past, as oftentimes it is perceived as outdated or harmful to their current state. The nation in question is regarded to be on a territory of land, that shares similar morals, beliefs, myths, culture, and economy as well as legal rights between citizens and members, thus, national identity, in short, is the relationship of one to one's nation. National identity is under the same scope as nationalism, where a country is posted as superior to other countries and caters to its interest, even if it supports the detriment of other Countries. Under the alliance of Cyprus, a Nation located in the Middle East, primary National Identity and values differ from surrounding Nations, whereas much of Cyprus’ identity is built off of political relations in regard to neighboring country Turkey, concerning Cyprus’ population and identification between northern and southern Cyprus, as well as the ongoing relation to the distinction and classification of geography regarding their tourist-driven society.  

Ethnicities defying one another in comparison to Northern Cyprus and Southern Cyprus hold a power and differences regarding politics between the assortment of Greek peoples in Southern Cyprus with the Turkish-Cypriots of Northern Cyprus. Concerning northern Cyprus, just south of Turkey, the Turkish Cypriot population holds a stereotypical metaphorical comparison regarding “Turkey as the protective, embracing and, even, authoritarian ‘mother’, while North Cyprus is mainly perceived to be her ‘baby’ that is developing, dependent and also needy,” (Jorgensen, Latif p.369). Although this metaphor is considered problematic regarding the relationship between Turkey and Northern Cyprus, as the Turkish-Cypriot population prefers relations regarding sovereign equality, acceding ‘Cypriot Perceptions of Turkey’ study, Turkey being perceived as a “mother and child,” alludes to the perception of ‘othering’ heeding national relations. The “other” is indirectly related to nationalism, the perception of one nation being above another relative to superiority, in which Tryandafyllidou (1998) discusses the “existence of ‘others’ [as] other nations or other individuals, who do not belong to the in-group, and from which the in-group must be distinguished,” (p. 599). This becomes relative to ‘significant others’ who are similarly discussed and theorized as a nation that poses a threat to another nation’s perceptions and identity that are prone to marginalization. Under Cyprus’ National identity, Northern Cyprus not only holds a large Turkish-Cypriot population but also holds values regarding those who identify within Cyprus, as Turkish immigrants threaten the national identity of Turkish Cypriots in “fear of being outnumbered by immigrants from Turkey and the discourse of democratic erosion,” (Jorgensen and Latif pg. 371). With the perception of “othering,” Turkey is relative to Cyprus’ TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), frustrating those who choose to view Cyprus as a non-paternal partnership, whereas “ Turkey not only controls the TRNC’s security, but it also effectively controls its internal affairs,” (Bryant and Yokinthou p.16), causing reliance between the two forces.  

With discussion regarding national identity, the Northern Turkish-Cypriot population holds a difference in regards to Southern Greek Cypriot populations. Relative to agriculture, ethnicity, and economic structures, the two differing “societies,” each mend between relative populations, the south holding the Greek Cypriot population to the north holding Turkish Cypriot populations. Cyprus’ economy is based mostly on agriculture and trade between the 60s through the early 70s, though it also highly relies on tourism to continue the prosperity of the economy, along with Turkey’s contribution regarding financial support, involving TRNC. With reliance on TRNC and its support with Northern Cyprus’ finances, perceptions posing Turkey as paternal and Cyprus seeming inferior for its contribution and independence hold stress between the economies of Northern and Southern Cyprus, further supporting the phenomena of “othering” as it threatens Northern Cyprus independent values and partnership. Economically, the “Greek Cypriot agricultural sector have grapes, deciduous fruits, potatoes, cereal grains, vegetables, olives, and carobs,” while the Turkish Cypriot holds “citrus fruits, wheat, barley, carrots, tobacco, and green fodder,” (Eryigit, 2018). With Cyprus split between the islands sectors of TRC (The Republic of Cyprus) and TRNC, trade differs between TRC and TRNC, whilst TRC is a part of the European Union, because of TRNC's lack of recognition involving the surrounding nations, TRC can prosper and continue developing whilst TRNC is greatly supported and reliant on Turkey as a sector. There tends to be a lack of negative connotation with Northern Cypriots and Tukeys’ economic partnership, “whereas Greek Cypriots see Turkey’s growing economy as a potential opportunity, Turkish Cypriots are more concerned with the implications of developing a ‘Turkey-dependent’ economy,” (Bryant and Yokinthou, 2012, p.5). Bryant and Yokinthou (2012) further discuss this implication, communicating that though perceptions of Turkey tend to be negative, as it withholds Cyprus from becoming fully independent from Turkey and their relations, negotiations concerning Turkish Cypriot leadership have been negotiated which allow the Turkish-Cypriot community plausible independence. 

Cyprus, as stated in the previous paragraph, relies highly on tourism to embark on funding, the Cypriot Tourism Organization expresses and promotes aspects of their social identity to cater to the masses. While many nations use brochures to market to tourists, Cyprus relies heavily on tourist funds to contribute to their nation, as Cyprus averages 2315 million tourists a year, so “through various print or digital mediums, like daily newspapers, magazines, mobile devices or tablets,” (Zantides, pg.2), Cyprus can brand themselves to the masses, regardless of peoples’ primary use of exposure. Cyprus markets and profits in a diverse retrospect of ways, including "geographic references/location, cultural heritage, objects, and food/drinks,” (Zantides pg.2) though when catering concerning the geography of Cyprus, traction tends to exceed in the global market. Cyprus, being an island in the Middle East, poses beauty amongst its extravagant beaches and Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and cool winters (CIA World Factbook), and an assortment of mountains and central plains. Cyprus is ideal for those seeking out the common and stereotypical getaway destination, allowing Cypriot Tourism Organization to profit and cater to the masses that seek the “perfect getaway.” With Cyprus being popularized with tourism, dilemmas regarding traveling between northern and southern Cyprus arise. Because of the split between the two “states,” "Visitors arriving in the south from abroad can often obtain permission from the Government of Cyprus and from Turkish Cypriot officials to visit the north,” (Cyprus), though those intending on departing from the northern Cyprus or those who have luggage will most likely be prohibited from crossing. This conflict causes difficulty to those who seek to travel abroad to Cyprus and who want to expand their Cyprus trip to both the north and south. 

Cyprus’ expressions of national identity rely heavily on relations with Turkey, though within the country itself, Cyprus holds independent qualities referring to its own national identity, regarding their agriculture expanding their economy along with their expressions and how Cyprus capitalizes to the masses off their geography. Cyprus and Turkey's split relations raise tension between northern and southern Cyprus, specifically regarding the Cypriot-Turkish population and the RNC to TRNC, with efforts to become a less reliant nation and branding with their own national identity.

Word Count: 1,266

References: 

Bryant, R., Yakinthou, C. (2012). Cypriot Perceptions of Turkey. TESEV Foreign Policy Programme, 2(3), 5-103. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/zypern/10617.pdf 

CIA World Factbook. (2024). Cyprus. In The World Factbook. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cyprus/#geography 

Cyprus. (1992). In Background Notes on Countries of the World 2003(1). https://web-p-ebscohost-com.proxy.seattleu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=1ac25f1b-db43-4db8-b6e8-0a0f4e4f354b@redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=9410170052&db=a9h 

Eryigit, N. (2018). A Comparison Between the Dominant Economic Actors of the Northern and Southern Cyprus. Ines Education and Social Science Congress 3, 1515-1520. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nimet-Eryigit/publication/350941581_A_COMPARISON_BETWEEN_THE_DOMINANT_ECONOMIC_ACTORS_OF_THE_NORTHERN_AND_SOUTHERN_CYPRUS/links/607a9042907dcf667ba463b0/A-COMPARISON-BETWEEN-THE-DOMINANT-ECONOMIC-ACTORS-OF-THE-NORTHERN-AND-SOUTHERN-CYPRUS.pdf

Jordan, P. (2014). NATION BRANDING: A TOOL FOR NATIONALISM? Journal of Baltic Studies, 45(3), 283–303. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26764050 

Jorgensen, A., Latif, D. (2022). ‘Different than us’? Reciprocal perceptions of the societies in Turkey and North Cyprus. Mediterranean Politics, 47(3), 369-390. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.proxy.seattleu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=268282a1-603c-493f-8078-4d4169751dad@redis

Triandafyllidou, A. (1998). National identity and the “other.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 21(4), 593–612. https://doi.org/10.1080/014198798329784

Zantides, E. (2016). Looking inwards, designing outwards: national identity and print advertisements of the Cyprus Tourism Organization.Visual Studies, 31(3),1 https://web-p-ebscohost-com.proxy.seattleu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=7&sid=e41d3b82-3a78-40e9-9b19-1390bc0e30d4@redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=117922883&db=a9h