Displacement by Repatriation: The Future of Turkish Settlers in Northern Cyprus

This chapter discusses the future of Turkish settlers in Northern Cyprus. It examines the prospect of their repatriation to Turkey within the framework of the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Cyprus. Although ordinarily repatriation has a positive connotation of going home, in the case of the Turkish settlers, repatriation or homecoming may mean the displacement for another home. This chapter begins with a short overview of the history of the settler issue in Northern Cyprus and its evolution. It then considers the problems the prospect of repatriation may impose on the vision of a future unified Cyprus. It also discusses the modalities which are currently negotiated for addressing this issue. Because these modalities are framed in the shadow of international human rights law, the implications of some human rights standards for the conflict are also examined. Lastly, the proposed modalities are examined in comparison with the alternative solution for the settler issue which was adopted in the Baltic states during the 1990s.