Seminar on Aegean Problem, Cyprus and Turkey-Greece Relations
Course Code
Semester
Course Name
LE/RC/LA
Course Type
Language of Instruction
ECTS
IRD9069
Seminar on Aegean Problem, Cyprus and Turkey-Greece Relations
3/0/0
DE
English
4
Course Goals
This seminar critically examines the historical and political dynamics of Cyprus in the broader context of Aegean issues and Turkey-Greece relations. The course will focus primarily on Cyprus, tracing its transition from Ottoman rule to British administration and exploring how colonial governance shaped the island’s political and social landscape. Special emphasis will be placed on the impact of these historical developments on Turkish foreign policy and the evolving diplomatic and geopolitical relations between Turkey and Greece. Through an analysis of key historical documents, international treaties, and contemporary debates, students will gain insight into the complexities of Cyprus as a pivotal issue in regional politics and its lasting influence on Turkish-Greek relations.
Prerequisite(s)
None
Corequisite(s)
None
Special Requisite(s)
The minimum qualifications that are expected from the students who want to attend the course.(Examples: Foreign language level, attendance, known theoretical pre-qualifications, etc.)
Lecture of the instructor, class discussions and student presentations.
Principle Sources
Andrekos Varnava, British Imperialism in Cyprus, 1878-1915 The inconsequential possession (UK: Manchester Uni. Press, 2015)
Illia Xypolia, British Imperialism and Turkish Nationalism in Cyprus 1923-1939 Divide, Define and Rule, (London&New York: Routledge, 2018)
Other Sources
Nur Çetiner, “Who Are the People of Cyprus? The National Identity Building Process in Cyprus from the Late 19th to the Early 20th Century.” Nationalities Papers, 2024, 1–23.
Yael Navaro, The Make-Believe Space: Affective Geography in a Postwar Polity, (US: Duke University Press, 2012). (Turkish translation: Kurmaca Mekan: Kuzey Kıbrıs’ın Duygu Coğrafyası, İstanbul: Koç Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2015).
Andrekos Varnava, Serving the Empire in the Great War: The Cypriot Mule Corps, Imperial Loyalty and Silenced Memory, (UK: Manchester Uni Press, 2017).
Course Schedules
Week
Contents
Learning Methods
1. Week
Introduction
lecture and class discussions
2. Week
The Emergence of the Ottoman Rule in Cyprus
lecture and class discussions
3. Week
Beginning of the Colonial Administration
lecture and class discussions
4. Week
Cyprus during the WWI
lecture and class discussions
5. Week
Cyprus in the Diplomacy of the New Republic of Turkey
lecture and class discussions
6. Week
Cyprus in the Diplomacy of the New Republic of Turkey II
lecture and class discussions
7. Week
Cyprus and 6-7 September
lecture and class discussions
8. Week
Cyprus and 6-7 September II
lecture and class discussions
9. Week
End of the Colonial Period
Lecture and Class Presentation
10. Week
The Role of Turkey and Greece in Independent Cyprus Republic
Lecture and Class Presentation
11. Week
The Republic of Cyprus: did it collapsed or is it continuing?
Lecture and Class Presentation
12. Week
1974 and its impact on Turkish Diplomacy
Lecture and Class Presentation
13. Week
Cyprus problem and its ramifications on Turkish Greek bilateral relations
Lecture and Class Presentation
14. Week
Cyprus problem and its ramifications on Turkish Greek bilateral relations II
Lecture and Class Presentation
15. Week
16. Week
17. Week
Assessments
Evaluation tools
Quantity
Weight(%)
Midterm(s)
1
30
Homework / Term Projects / Presentations
1
20
Attendance
1
10
Final Exam
1
40
Program Outcomes
PO-1
To identify and use theoretical and practical knowledge in International Relations.
PO-2
To express ideas and assessments about contemporary debates in International Relations.
PO-3
To acknowledge ethical and scientific responsibilities of data collection, evaluation and publication.
PO-4
To monitor and interpret published studies in International Relations.
PO-5
To use a second language at an intermediate level.
PO-6
To analyze, compare and relate different local, regional and global developments in International Relations.
PO-7
To analyze, compare and relate International Relations with theories and practices of different associate departments and their sub-fields and to offer suggestions by combining these fields.
PO-8
To present substantial knowledge for various public, private and academic career positions.
PO-9
To analyze the emergence and functions of prominent regional and local actors and to make future projections about their actions.
PO-10
To theoretically and practically examine different events and facts in International Relations and Foreign Policy and to interpret their past, present, and future through a scientific perspective.
Learning Outcomes
LO-1
Have knowledge about the historical development of Turkish - Greek relations.
LO-2
Analyzes Turkish - Greek relations in the historical process.
LO-3
Have knowledge about the third party in Turkish - Greek relations.
LO-4
Addresses the main problems in Turkish - Greek relations.
LO-5
Have a good command of the latest developments in Turkish-Greek relations.
