Population and Politics in North Cyprus: An Overview of the Ethno-Demography of North Cyprus in the Light of the 2011 Census

The population of north Cyprus is one of the most contested issues in the Cyprus conflict, with many and widely varying figures being published for numbers of Turkish Cypriots and Turkish nationals in the island. In 2008, Mete Hatay published a report in which he assessed all available sources on Turkish Cypriot population, and that report has since been a standard source for understanding demography in north Cyprus. In the past decade, however, there have been continuous changes to the north's population, including an explosion in numbers of university students and the issuance of new citizenships by the Turkish Cypriot authorities. In light of these changes, Hatay again assesses available sources on the Turkish Cypriot population; gives an overall portrait of the population breakdown; and presents results not only for immigration but also for Turkish Cypriot emigration. In addition, he assesses both Turkish Cypriot reactions to these changes and their potential effects on future negotiations.