Political Systems of Turkiye and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: Similarities and Differences

Abstract

Cyprus, which the Ottoman Empire had de facto transferred its administration to Britain in 1878, was annexed by the British after the outbreak of the First World War and recognized as a territory under British sovereignty with the Treaty of Lausanne. Türkiye became involved in the Cyprus issue regarding the situation of the Turks on the island following the principle of self-determination that came to the agenda after the Second World War. During this process, where significant public support emerged in Türkiye’s domestic politics, the Cyprus issue has become a national cause on which even different political views have reached a consensus. Following the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960 with the efforts of the USA and the guarantor states, its delicate and dysfunctional structure enabled the Turkish Cypriots to create their state with Türkiye’s support. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which faced comprehensive embargoes in the post-independence period, has generally had pro-Türkiye administrations throughout its state experience of more than half a century and established its ties with the world through Türkiye. This study examines the similarities and differences in the political systems of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which share a common destiny and have democratic characteristics regarding their internal political structures. The study utilizes the constitutions from both countries and secondary

sources to compare the elements such as forms of government, electoral, and party systems in the context of political science literature.