Theorising belonging along the identity-border-order axes of North Cyprus

Turkish Cypriots in North Cyprus achieved mass mobilisation for peace and integration into the European Union in early aughts, producing a novel identity group of Cypriotists who at large emphasised Cypriotness, reunion with Greek Cypriots and differentiation from mainlander Turks. However, the status quo ante of a somewhat porous yet hard boundary in-between the two Cypriot communities has persevered. Furthermore, the boundaries between Turkey and North Cyprus have since softened. How do such borderland dynamics affect Turkish Cypriotists and their identities? This article develops a theory of vernacular practices in dealing with borderland pressures to achieve belonging within this community. The theory developed herein synthesises the identity-borders-order, ontological security and basic human needs frameworks to demonstrate how politically disempowered border-dwellers shift their engagement to microcosmic, embodied resistance tactics.