DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORY OF CYPRUS SINCE 1960

The last official census conducted in Cyprus to include all the islanders was dated 11 December 1960.[1] Here, the number of Turkish Cypriots was determined as 104,320. The same census gave a figure of 104,942 for the total Muslim population living on the island. In this case, it is understood that 475 gypsies and other Muslims, who generally lived together with the Turkish Cypriot community and were Muslims, were included in this figure.

Following the inter-communal clashes that began in December 1963 due to constitutional disputes, the Turkish Cypriots were separated from the state machinery and a census could not be conducted in the enclaves where the Turkish Cypriots were living. However, according to information compiled from a study by Canadian researcher Richard A. Patrick, who also served in the UN Peace Force in Cyprus, in early 1971, there were a total of 119,147 Turkish Cypriots living in the Turkish Cypriot settlements spread over the island.[2]

In the 1973 population estimates made by the Greek Cypriot administration in Cyprus, the number of Turkish Cypriots was given as 114,960. [3]

 MIGRATION FROM SOUTH TO NORTH

A short while after the island was divided in two in the summer of 1974, a report dated 20 October 1974 prepared by Ahmet Sami, Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior and Justice of the "Autonomous Turkish Cypriot Administration", included the following information:

"A total of 83,719 Turkish Cypriots live in the Autonomous Turkish Cypriot Administration area. A total of 32,039 Turkish Cypriots remained in the south. Of these, approximately 10 thousand were in the British Sovereign Base Area, 4,200 in Limassol and its villages, 12, 000 in the district of Paphos, 2,630 in the district of Larnaca, and 3,209 in the villages of the district of Nicosia. In another part of the same report, it is stated that approximately 12,000 Turkish Cypriots migrated to the north by their own means until 19 October 1974."

In this case, there were 71,719 Turkish Cypriots living in the north and 44,039 Turkish Cypriots living south of the division line, making a total of 115,758 Turkish Cypriots. This figure is essentially close to the number given in Patrick's study.

A report in the Zaman newspaper dated 9 August 1977 stated that Hakkı Atun, the Minister of Settlement and Rehabilitation of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus (TFSC), announced that 20,934 families, or 83,650 people, were settled in the north in the three-year period between 1974 and 1977. Since the number of Turkish Cypriot immigrants from the south was determined as 44,039 in October 1974, it is understood that the remaining 39,611 people were settlers brought from Turkey.

SETTLERS BROUGHT FROM TURKEY

In October 1974, Turkish immigrants were first brought to the occupied part of the island to work in the gardens and hotels left by the Greek Cypriots. In January 1975, this situation was expanded with the settlement of the families of those who were martyred in the 1974 war. Those who were discharged from the military and wanted to settle in Cyprus were also added to these. After the signing of the “Agricultural Labour Protocol” in February 1975, the first wave of immigration from Turkey began. A secret regulation was published under the title of “Regulation on the Elimination of the Labour Deficit in the Region”, prepared upon the request of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus. It was stated there that even if all the Turkish Cypriots living south of the division line were to come to the north, there would not be enough labour force and therefore the northern part should be filled with the population brought to the island from Turkey as soon as possible.

Citizenship was granted to all those brought from Anatolia and settled in the part of the island occupied by the Turkish Armed Forces by the decision of the “Council of Ministers” of the Turkish Administration. In addition, the houses and lands of the Greek Cypriots who were forced to leave their ancestral homes were distributed. They were not allowed to leave the places they settled for at least five years. If they left, everything given to them would be taken back from them. Those who could not adapt to the new local conditions later returned to Turkey, but the vast majority remained on the island. According to a study, 82,500 Turkish settlers were settled in the occupied part of Cyprus between 1975 and 1979. However, 20-25% of them could not adapt and returned to Anatolia. [4]

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF TURKISH SETTLERS

This group, who were settled in the part of the island occupied by the Turkish military and made citizens of the separatist state, initially participated in general elections with the political parties they founded. The Turkish settlers, who participated in the 1981 elections with the Reformist Welfare Party and the Turkish Unity Party, founded by retired Turkish officers, came together under the single roof of the New Birth Party (YDP) in January 1984 with the help of the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia.

These parties, supported by the votes of the Turkish settlers, took part in coalition governments during the periods when the ruling party lost power, ensuring the continuation of the established order.

Thanks to the 8% vote threshold election system, which was tried in the separatist state in 1985 without being implemented in Turkey, the National Unity Party-UBP- (36.7%), which had 25 deputies instead of 18, joined the coalition with the New Birth Party-YDP- (8.7%), which had 4 deputies, and the ruling party was able to maintain its majority until the end of April 1988.

After Aytaç Beşeşler, the Party Chairman and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, lost the election at the YDP Congress, three YDP deputies resigned from their party. One of them later returned to the YDP, while the other two joined the UBP. The new leader of the YDP was Orhan Üçok, a member of the Party Assembly of the True Path Party (DYP), who came to the island to participate in the congress and won the election. In other words, he was one of those who maintained both Turkish and TRNC citizenship.

POPULATION OF TURKISH CYPRIOTS IN THE 1990’S

In my study titled “What is the population of Turkish Cypriots?” published in Söz magazine on 31 October1986, I stated that the number of Turkish Cypriots, which was announced as 115,758 on 20 October 1974, had increased to 157,984 by the end of 1984 and that 47,186 Turkish citizens were settled in Northern Cyprus as of 1983. By 1994, it was estimated that this number had reached 100,000.

In an article in which I criticized the fact that the number of immigrants brought from Turkey to Cyprus and made to vote was kept secret and never published before the general census conducted for the preparation of the electoral rolls prior to the Presidential and General Elections held in the spring of 1996, I wrote the following:

“The participation of dual nationals in the elections, who have been preventing the true will of the Turkish Cypriots from being reflected in the election results for years, should be opposed and a definite stance should be taken regarding the elements whose existence prevents the Cyprus problem from being resolved in the interest of the Cypriots. Another issue should be to make a definite decision not to go to the elections with an anti-democratic election law.” [5]

The opposition parties, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Communal   Liberation Party (TKP), which received a total of 57.2% of the votes in the 1985 general elections, participated in the elections under the name of the Democratic Struggle Party (DMP), which was formed by Turkish immigrants together with the New Birth Party, and the three parties could only reach 44.4% of the votes. The entry into Parliament of two MPs of YDP origin from DMP who gambled and lost by saying “the anti-democratic election law may be beneficial for us” and two MPs who won from the TKP list (E. Vehbi and İ. Kotak), caused the party to disintegrate in this election. When the 7 MPs of CTP and the remaining 5 MPs of TKP refused to take office on the grounds that “we will not be extra members in Parliament”, their seats were filled by UBP candidates (except for one) in the by-elections that were held.

The articles I wrote to draw attention to the problem created by the Turkish settler population who moved to the part of the island occupied by Turkey and were made citizens and allowed to vote were not given much importance. [6] On the other hand, CTP officials created a definition that Turkish immigrants were also “labourers with calloused hands” and, moreover, they integrated with the party of TKP and Turkish settlers (YDP) and entered the 1990 elections under the name of “Democratic Struggle Party” (DMP). But when their calculations did not prove right, they decided to boycott the Parliament, which led to the 1991 midterm elections. This increased the number of seats of the UBP in the 50-person Parliament from 34 to 45.

HIDING THE CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE

The Turkish Cypriot population, which was 104,942 in 1960 and 115,758 in 1974, was shown together with immigrants of Turkish origin as of July 1974, and in the census conducted on 26.5.1990 to determine the number of voters, this figure reached 173,224. When asked why the 1990 census results were not announced in detail, Rauf Denktaş, the head of the regime established in the north of Cyprus, said, "If we announced it, it would be clear who came from where." [7]

It is a well-known fact that the population transfers carried out in violation of the Geneva Convention to the territory under Turkish military control in the north of Cyprus since 1974 have disrupted the demographic structure. The legal status of an occupying power over the territory it occupies, as well as its rights and responsibilities, are regulated by international agreements. These were specified one by one in the 4th Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, dated 12 August 1949.

A report was prepared by Spanish socialist parliamentarian Alfons Cuco on behalf of the Committee on Migration, Immigration and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe regarding the population, transferred to the north of Cyprus by the occupying Turkey after 1974. According to this report, dated 27 April 1992 and titled “Demographic Structure of Cypriot Communities”, between 1974 and 1990, the population in the south of the Republic of Cyprus increased by only 13.70%, while the population in the north increased by 48.5%! The report, referring to UN Representative Camilion, stated that in addition to 30 thousand Turkish military units, a civilian population of 40-45 thousand people was transferred to the occupied northern region, and that 40 thousand Turkish Cypriots left the occupied region for various reasons.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which discussed the Cuco Report, in its recommendation numbered 1197, adopted on 7 October 1992, instructed the European Population Committee to determine the population of the island in cooperation with the relevant authorities and to obtain reliable data instead of population estimates. In the meantime, the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot Administration were requested to keep a definitive record of foreigners entering the island and the Turkish Embassy in Cyprus to keep records of Turkish citizens residing in Cyprus and visiting the island. Unfortunately, no census could be carried out in the north of the island under the supervision of international organizations in the intervening period and the number of Turkish Cypriots who were settled in the north or were living illegally could not be determined. The general elections of 12 December 1993, which were decided to be held after Rauf Denktaş was squeezed in the UN peace talks and the CTP was pulled even further to the right after the Democrat Party emerged from the UBP, were held under conditions where the YDP, the party of Turkish immigrants, was dissolved into Denktaş’s new party, the DP.

Before the decision to hold early elections and the amendment of the election law, the opposition parties, who had demanded that a census be held and especially the number of immigrants of Turkish origin be announced, withdrew their demands when the election mood began. For some reason, no political party touched on this issue after the election results were announced. However, in the census conducted on 19 September 1993, it was announced that the population was 155,994 and the number of voters was determined as 106,688, but no information was given about Turkish immigrants. No one even mentioned the headline in the Kıbrıs newspaper published the day after the census, which read “We are approaching 200 thousand.” However, what we heard was that the population had reached 204 thousand.

The data of the first population census, conducted by the Turkish Cypriot authorities on 15 December 1996 and evaluated at the Turkish State Institute of Statistics in Ankara, was only announced two years later. Accordingly, the de facto (actual, not based on residence) population was 200,587 people. Since the question "permanent place of residence" was also included in the questionnaire, the de jure (based on residence) population was reported as 188,662 people. Prime Ministry Planning Organization Undersecretary Ahmet Bulunç, who made the statement, said that the difference of 11,925 people was due to the fact that people who were in the TRNC on the day of the census declared that their permanent place of residence was outside the TRNC. [8]

 The demographic structure of the population at the end of 1996 was given as follows:

Total.................. 200,857 100%

TRNC nationals.............. 164,460 82%

TRNC born..................... 137,398

TC born........................... 23,924

3rd country born................ 3,138

TC nationals..................... 30,702 15%

Students.............................. 8,287

Employees........................ 12,922

Unemployed....................... 1,327

Other (employed, income earners,

retired etc.).......................... 8,166

Other nationals.................... 5,425 3%

The number of Greek Cypriots living in the north was 384 and the number of Maronite Cypriots was 173.

As can be seen from the figures above, it was not stated how many children were born in the TRNC to parents born in the TRNC. Furthermore, no mention was made of the families of approximately 35 thousand soldiers and officers of the Turkish Armed Forces on the island. The number of illegal workers, whose number was estimated at 25-30 thousand at the time, also shows that the figure stated as the de facto population was low. In a news report given with reference to some officials who did not want to be named, it was stated that the number of people who were granted citizenship in Northern Cyprus since 1974 was around 46 thousand, and that 20-25 thousand of these people did not permanently reside in the TRNC.[9] Among these were also famous politicians and members of parliament from Turkey.[10] According to the statements of Kenan Akın, who is of Turkish origin and served as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in the TRNC government, there were 60 thousand Turkish immigrants in the TRNC.[11]

In the elections of 12 December 1993, which took place after the New Birth Party joined the Democrat Party, which was formed by Rauf Denktaş's son in 1992 with those who left the UBP, 4 of the 15 seats won by the DP belonged to Turkish immigrants. It was striking that 76 (22%) of the 351 candidates who ran in the same elections were born in the Republic of Turkey.

After the results of the early general elections of 12 December 1993 were announced, I wrote an article titled “Election Results Do Not Reflect the Will of Turkish Cypriots” and made the following assessment:

“Of the 351 candidates for parliament, 1 of whom was independent and 350 of whom were members of 7 parties, 76 (22%) were born in Turkey. Of the 50 elected MPs, 4 were of Turkish origin and all were elected from the Democrat Party. In the final analysis, it can be said that “Denktaş” won the election.”[12]

IN 1998, “40% OF THE POPULATION WAS OF TURKISH ORIGIN”

In the general elections of December 6, 1998, 61 (17%) of the 352 candidates who were candidates were born in Turkey. Moreover, it was reflected in the press that there were fierce discussions between immigrants of Turkish origin and Turkish Cypriots during the determination of the MP candidates within the DP. The unrest in the DP, which emerged from the loss of votes in the parliamentary elections, brought forward the idea of ​​reviving the New Birth Party of Turkish origin, which merged with the DP in 1992 and became history. In a paid advertisement given to the press by these disgruntled people, they protested "the cunning division of the votes of a large segment of the population, representing 40% [13] or approximately one third of the population, and the prevention of the fair and balanced representation of this segment in the Parliament." [14]

THE EXACT NUMBER OF TURKISH CYPRIOTS CANNOT BE KNOWN

Since the 137,398 TRNC citizens, born in Cyprus given in the 1996 census results above, include those of Turkish origin, this number also prevents reaching an exact figure regarding the Turkish Cypriot population in the TRNC.

Mustafa Miralay, Director of the TRNC Immigration Department, stated that approximately 49 thousand people were granted TRNC citizenship between 1984 and 1999, and that the number of those granted citizenship between 1974 and 1984 is unknown due to "no records being kept", and that the Council of Ministers has so far granted citizenship to many people, including some Turkish ministers, members of parliament and artists. The newspapers reporting Miralay's statement also used the following headlines: "It was reported that some of those who were made citizens by the decision of the Council of Ministers never came to the TRNC... While an average of 3,300 people are made citizens in the TRNC every year, approximately 30% of our new citizens live outside the island." [15]

A day later, in statements made by the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior on the subject, it was claimed that "Miralay made a historical error due to a slip of the tongue", and it was claimed that 49 thousand people were made citizens since 1974, not 1984, and it was stated that "it is impossible not to keep records, all citizens are registered". [16]

Although there is no reliable official number of official citizenships granted to settlers from Anatolia, Arif Albayrak (CTP), a member of parliament, stated in the Kıbrıs newspaper on 23 October 2003 that the total number of citizenships granted between 1974 and 14 October 2003 was 53,904.

The Birlik newspaper on 24 October 2003 also gave the following details of citizenships granted after 1994, a total of 17,293 persons: By decision of the “Council of Ministers”: 3,675; with approval of the “Ministry of Interior”: 7,272; as third generation: 2,246; through marriage: 1,971; citizens of a third country: 1,142; Bulgarian Turks: 987.

A total of 10,203 persons were granted citizenship due to marriage in 2004, but the number of those who received citizenship due to “spouse and child” was 4,480.

The CTP was very critical of this practice when the party was in opposition, but during the CTP governments (2013-2016), the granting of “TRNC” citizenship to Turkish settlers continued. 796 people became citizens by the decision of the “TRNC” Council of Ministers. (Including natural means, this number was 3,916 people in total.)

During the UBP-DP coalition governments (2016-2017), 7,200 Turkish citizens were granted “TRNC” citizenship. If each person is multiplied by 4 (spouse and at least 2 children), this number becomes 28,000 new citizens.

According to the 2011 census, the total population living permanently on the island was: 286,257 people. Their breakdown by place of birth was as follows:[17]

 Born in TRNC + RoC: 160,207

Born in TR:  104,641

Born in 3rd country: 14,933

Born in UK: 6,476

RESULTS OF CHANGE IN DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE

The results of various censuses conducted in the Turkish-controlled area in the north of Cyprus since 1974 and the number of voters who voted in the general elections are given below [18]:

 

DATE                                    POPULATION        NUMBER OF VOTERS

11 December 1960 (Census)            104,942

5 July 1970 (Presidential)                  110.000           63,500

Early 1971                                          119,147

1973 (RoC est.)                                  114,960

20 November 1974                            115,758

                   - (parents born in Cyprus: 98,000)

8 June 1975 (Referandum)                126,949           52,926

20 June 1976 (General)                      130,136           75,724

20 July 1976(Pres.)                             75,781

28 June 1981(G)                                 151,233           84,721

28 July 1981(P)                                                          84,721

5 May 1985 (Ref.)                              157,984           91,810

23 June 1985 (G)                                                       93,934

9 July1985 (P)                                    160,287           95,124

22 April 1990 (P)                               171,469           101,306

6 May 1990 (G)                                  173,224           103,218

13 October 1991 (Interim)                 173,224           106,303

12 December 1993 (Early)                 177,120           108,370

15-22 April 1995 (P)                          181,363           113,440

8 February 1998                                 162,482           122,574

23 June 1998 (Local)                         163,610

6 December 1998                               163,860           126,675

15 April 2000(P)                                 170,416           126,675

30 June 2002 (Loc.)                            177,416

14 December 2003 (G)                       183,604           141,596

24 April 2004 (Annan Ref.)                184,350           143,639

20 February 2005 (P)                          188,372           147,249

(both parents born in CY:120,007)

25 June 2006 (L)                                191,388           151,635

19 April 2009 (G)                               200,466           161,373

18 April 2010 (P)                               203,260           164,072

Official 2011 census: de jure: 286,257 -de facto: 294,906 (excluding military)

190,494 TRNC citizens (=only TRNC: 136.362 + dual TRNC+TR: 38.085 + dual TRNC+ other: 16.047)

Results of the 2nd Stage of the 2011 Population and Housing Census (Ali Korhan):

Born in CY: 160,207 (%56) + born in TR: 104,641 (%36.6)= 264,848

Born in UK: 6.476 + born in other countries: 14.933= 21.305+264.848=286.257 total de jure population

 July 28, 2013 (early G)                      214,040           172,528

May 25, 2014 ROCy EUP Elections 58,642 TC voters

June 29, 2014 (L)                                                       175,258

IN TRNC, NUMBER OF REGISTERED TR VOTERS IN FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS HELD IN TR ON AUGUST 10, 2014: 92,171

April 30, 2015 (P)                              218,609           176,980

2017                                                   230,747           190,551

(Citizens made citizens between 1974 and March 2017: 76,181 people)

January 7, 2018 (eG)                         252,497           191,553

IN TRNC, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED CITIZENS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTIONS HELD IN THE TURKEY ON JUNE 7, 2015: 94,135 PEOPLE

IN TRNC, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED CITIZENS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTIONS HELD IN THE TURKEY ON NOVEMBER 1, 2015: 95,366 PEOPLE

IN TRNC, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED TR CITIZENS FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REFERENDUM HELD IN THE TURKEY ON APRIL 16, 2017: 104,509 PEOPLE

IN TRNC, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED TR CITIZENS FOR JUNE 18, 2018 GENERAL ELECTIONS HELD IN TR: 106,506 PEOPLE

-Population: 343,000 people (Mustafa Akıncı said: “This is the figure the Minister of Interior gave me at the beginning of March 2019. Then the Minister of Interior announced it as 350,000. In this case, the number of our citizens increased by 130 thousand in 3.5 years. While previous governments granted citizenship to approximately a thousand people per month, the current government grants it to 400-500 people per month” (27 March 2019-YD- The Minister of Interior had given Akıncı the population figure of 220,000 before the talks in 2016.)

-351,000 citizens, 61 thousand people outside the country = 290 thousand people TRNC citizens living in the country. (Kudret Özersay, 15 March 2019 – YD)

-372,486 people (State Planning Organization, Cenk Mutluyakalı, 17 March 2019, YD)

- Ayşegül Baybars : Foreigners staying in the country with permission = 62,381 people (53,844 with work permits + 542 with business establishment permits + 4,297 with companion permits + 3,698 with visitor permits) + 90.438 (54.966 TR+35.472 other) students with permission=TOTAL: 152.819 people with permission + 252,497 TRNC citizens = 405.316 people (Bugün newspaper, 26 March 2019 and Gündem Kıbrıs, 9 October 2019)

-2018-19 academic year (14 Universities):

TRNC nationals 12,508 + TR nationals 54,875 + 3rd country nationals 35,318= TOTAL: 102,701 university students (Only 85,000 of 102,701 students were active students (=12,000 TRNC+45,000 TC+28,000 3rd country)

-2019-20 academic year (22 Universities=16 local, 4 foreign-sourced, 2 higher vocational schools):

TRNC nationals (-265) 12,243 + TR nationals (-4,689) 50,286 + 3rd country (+5,901) 41,219 (from 140 countries = 7,916 Nigeria, 3,405 Jordan + Syria, Cameroon, Iran, Iraq, Zimbabwe Pakistan, Congo, Libya, Egypt, Palestine) TOTAL: 103,748 (91,505 foreigner university students)

5,755 lecturers (2,195 from TR and 982 3rd country citizens = 3,177 foreigners) - There were a total of 94,682 foreigners in universities.

May 26, 2019 RoC EUP elections 81,611 TC voters

October 11, 2020 (P)                                     198,867

TOTAL EMPLOYMENT: Number of people employed in the private sector in 2018 (Kıbrıs, 13 and 16 October 2019): TRNC citizens 11,738 (workers, employers, public workers) + TR citizens 33,255 + 14,657 from 3rd countries (total 47,912 registered foreign workers)= TOTAL: 59,650 people + Number of people employed in the state sector: 82,761= 132,411 people (+6,742 illegal workers (%5) or 8,930 illegal workers (%20-40)

End of 2019 de facto POPULATION ESTIMATE:

TRNC citizens 252,496

Foreigners with permits 62,381

Uni. foreigners 94,682

Illegal workers 8,930 TOTAL: 418,489 people

Soldiers and their families 45,000 people

RESULT: Approximately 465,000 people live in the northern occupation territory of Cyprus.

                                                                       ***

August 3, 2021 (interim)        382,836           199,029 (+ Non-citizen:95,606=478,442 people)

359,692 people are citizens (mother-father Cy. Born: 131,556) (Under 18: 65,219)

 198,867

(126,000 CY + 256,000 TR)               (75,000 CY + 124,000 TR)

128,512 -CY and EU- citizens)

November 2021              245,869 (+foreigners=382,000 people)

End of 2021 projection: 390,745

January 23, 2022 (eG)                                   203,792

Before the local elections in Dec’ 22            203.183(= 81.600 CY+121.583 TR)

December 25, 2022 (L)                                  208,236

May 12, 2023                                                209,837

June 25, 2023 (By-election)                           210,121

On 8 October 2022, the GC press wrote: 105,252 IDs and 92,000 passports were received by the TCs from the RoC. (Evrensel, 20 July 2024, information from Hüseyin Yalyali)

THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED TR VOTERS IN THE TRNC FOR THE 14 MAY 2023 TR GENERAL ELECTIONS: 140,680. (Of the 240 thousand Turkish citizens living in the TRNC, 142 thousand registered as overseas voters. – Özgül Çelik, EMU Business Administration graduate-Dersim/TR)

End of Year Projection Population: (TRNC Statistical Institute)

2019                                       420,556

2020                                       419,810

2021                                       448,268

2022                                       462,747

2023                                       476,214

Number of Turkish citizens registered in the TRNC in the 2022 Turkish General Elections: 140,680 people. (In 2014, it was 92,171 people.)

June 9, 2024 ROC AP elections 103,281 TC voters

Number of foreigners staying with a residence permit at the end of 2024: 104,278 people (64,161 student permits + 12,465 family residence permits + 7,652 short-term permits + 1,020 permanent permits (Yenidüzen, 13 December 2024)

-Ayşegül Baybars (Ex-Minister of Interior): Over 30.000 people were granted citizenship in 4 years from 2020 to 2024. (YD, 17 December 2024)

- According to official data, active insured and minimum wage workers: 159,321 people (TRNC nationals: 76,550 + Foreign nationals: 82,771 + TR nationals: 44,172 + Other country nationals: 38,599) (TRNC Central Bank Bulletin, 4th Quarter/2024)

ILLEGALLY LIVING: 82,606 PEOPLE (YD, 28 June 2024) Ürün Solyalı (MP): More than 100 thousand people are illegal or have not made any transactions - Özgür Gazete, 5 July 2024)

- Total number of students who have not made any transactions: 48,517

- Total number of residence permit holders who have not made any transactions: 33,789

- Number of people with illegal status in prison: 300

Illegal workers 10,300 people + 9,500 people whose procedures are not completed + 2,000 people whose residence permits are not renewed

3RD COUNTRY NATIONALITIES WITH WORK PERMITS (Total: 32,948 people, from 109 countries) Vatan Mehmet, Kibris Postasi, 1 December 2024)

The nationalities with the most work permits are as follows: Pakistan: 9,868 people, Bangladesh: 6,720 people, Turkmenistan: 6,241 people. These countries are among the countries known to work intensively, especially in the construction, service and agriculture sectors. Other highlighted data is as follows; Notable in the top 10: Countries such as Iran (1,299 people), Philippines (596 people) and Nigeria (431 people) are also high on the list. European countries such as Ukraine (467 people), Russia (365 people) and Moldova (218 people) also constitute the workforce in the TRNC. Countries with low representation: Only 1 person each from countries such as Switzerland, Japan, Kuwait and Malta is in the TRNC with a work permit. [19]

-Total number of people receiving salaries from the Central Budget in January 2025: 45,758 (YD, February 24, 2025)

-Number of retirees receiving salaries from the Social Insurance Department in January 2022: Nearly 48 thousand.

-Total number of university students in the 2023-24 academic year: 108,180 (65-70 thousand of 110,266 students are active, 32% are missing-illegal (YD, Salih Sarpten, February 26, 2024))

- 14,594 TRNC (14,498)

- 93,586 foreigners - 49,047 TC (44,562)

44,539 3rd country (51,206)

According to the Immigration Department: There are 63,613 foreign students. (Where are 29,973 students?) - Sami Özuslu's speech in the Parliament - Cenk Mutluyakalı, YD, March 14, 2024),

AT THE BEGINNING OF 2025, POPULATION ESTIMATE IN THE OCCUPIED REGION OF CYPRUS: At least 650 thousand people (476,214 Official population projection + 104,278 foreigners with permits (December 13, 2024-YD) + 82,606 unauthorized, unregistered, illegal foreigners (June 28, 2024-YD) = 645,869 people)

There were 210.121 registered voters for the by-election on 25 June 2023. We can estimate that 75.000 of them were TCs and the remaining 135.000 were Turkish settlers!

References:

[1] Census of Population and Agriculture 1960, Government Printing Office, Nicosia

[2] Political Geography and the Cyprus Conflict 1963-1971, Ontario, 1976

[3] George Karouzis, Proposal for a solution to the Cyprus Problem, Nicosia 1976, p.13

[4] The details of this settlement were recorded by two Turkish scientists, Hatice Kurtuluş and Semra Purkis, under the title “The Social Exclusion of Immigrants through Citizenship, Identity and Belonging: Being a Turkish citizen in Northern Cyprus!” A 41-page summary of the 300-page Project studies conducted between 2007-2009: “The Nature of Turkish Migration to Northern Cyprus and the Economic, Socio-Spatial Integration Problems of Migrants”, 2010 Scientific and Technical Research Council (TÜBİTAK) Project Number: 106K330, in the book titled “History, Classes and the City” edited by Besime Şen and Ali Ekber Doğan, Dipnot Publications, Istanbul 2010, 465-506

[5] Demokrat, January 10, 1996

[6] a. What is the population of Turkish Cypriots? Söz Magazine, October 31, 1986

b. The deterioration of the demographic structure in Cyprus and Turkish immigrants, Demokrat, December 28, 1988

c. Towards the census and election, Demokrat, January 10, 1990

d. Election results do not reflect the will of the Turkish Cypriots, Yeni Çağ, 27 December 1993

[7] Yeni Düzen, 23 July 1993

[8] Kıbrıs, 28 November 1997

[9] Avrupa, 31 January 1998

[10] Ortam, 17 October 1996

[11] Avrupa, 6.6.1998

[12] Yeni Çağ, 27 December 1993

[13] Kıbrıs, 15 December 1998

[14] Hürriyet-Kıbrıs, 22 December 1998

[15] Kıbrıs, 2 June 1999

[16] Kıbrıs, 3 June 1999

[17] Kıbrıs Postası, 13 August 2013

[18] “Written Evidence” by Ahmet Djavit An as published in the Second Report (22 February 2005) of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs of the British Parliament

[19] Vatan Mehmet, Kibris Postasi (1 December 2024) Total list: Pakistan 9,868, Bangladesh 6,720, Turkmenistan 6,241, Iran 1,299, Philippines 596, Kyrgyzstan 516, Nepal 484, Ukraine 467, Nigeria 431, Uzbekistan 416, Sri Lanka 392, Russia 365, Kazakhstan 352, India 286, Indonesia 256, Azerbaijan 256, Moldova 218, Belarus 173, United Kingdom 169, Cameroon 160, Vietnam 103, Georgia 99, Bulgaria 98, Morocco 78, Syria 76, Germany 52, Jordan 51, Zimbabwe 47, Guinea 45, Ireland 37, Czech Republic 37, Tajikistan 36, Afghanistan 35, Sierra Leone 34, Egypt 32, Lebanon 30, Uganda 29, Romania 28, Congo 28, China 28, Palestine 25, Ghana 22, Kenya 22, Uzbekistan 21, Brazil 19, United States 18, Algeria 16, Israel 15, Iraq 14, Thailand 13, Tanzania 12, Senegal 12, Lithuania 12, Democratic Republic of the Congo 11, Gambia 10, Ethiopia 10, Australia 9, Kosovo 9, Sweden 9, Italy 9, South Africa 9, Libya 8, Colombia 8, Macedonia 8, Ivory Coast 8, Slovenia 7, Andorra 7, Liberia 6, Spain 6, Sudan 6, Georgia 6, Yemen 6, Rwanda 5, Hungary 5, Cuba 5, Albania 5, Belgium 5, Finland 5, France 4, Austria 4, Angola 4, Central African Republic 4, Canada 4, Poland 4, Mongolia 4, Monaco 4, Saudi Arabia 4, Tunisia 4, Namibia 3, Central African Republic 3, Greece 3, Togo Republic 3, Serbia 3, Zambia 3, Mali Republic 3, Montenegro 2, Slovakia 2, Latvia 2, Portugal 2, Venezuela 2, Cyprus 2, Netherlands 2, Honduras 2, United Arab Emirates 2, Bosnia & Herzegovina 2, Denmark 2, Ecuador 2, Dominican Republic 1, Bahamas 1, Argentina 1, Hong Kong 1, Croatia 1, Haiti 1, Japan 1, Cambodia 1, Switzerland 1, Kuwait 1, Malta 1, Mexico 1, Uruguay 1, Suriname 1, Somalia 1, Paraguay 1, Mozambique 1, Djibouti 1, Zaire 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Myanmar 1, West African Rep. 1, Burkina Faso 1.     

(This research article was read on 8 April 2025 at a seminar, organized by the Department of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cyprus, Nicosia.)