Cypriotism as a political ideology: critical contributions and conceptual limitations

Description

The present paper summarises and evaluates the available literature on Cypriotism, an ideological position which opposes Greek and Turkish Cypriot nationalism, aspiring instead for a common Cypriot identity that transcends historical and existing ethnic divisions. It situates the literature within the broader scholarship focusing on nationalism in Cyprus, noting how Cypriotism is typically represented in relation to Greek and Turkish nationalism. The paper moves on to examine the limitations of the Kohn dichotomy, a theoretical framework originating in nationalism studies which has been employed in the literature to conceptualise Cypriotism as a political ideology, further outlining certain conceptual confusions which appear to originate from its utilisation. Drawing on contributions from the available literature, it concludes with a proposed modified definition for Cypriotism that aims to address both the theoretical limitations and the conceptual confusions identified. Cover No.178 178 GreeSE 1. Introduction 2. Brief Historical Context 3. Perspectives on Greek and Turkish Cypriot Nationalism 4. The Literature Surrounding Cypriotism 5. Cypriotism and the Kohn Dichotomy 6. Concluding Remarks References