By This post is also available in: ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ (GREEK) TÜRKÇE (TURKISH)
For years now, there is a question that is searching for its answer: “What is the population of the TRNC?”
Yes, for a very long time, it has been impossible to say how many people live in this piece of land, i.e. what the population of the TRNC is.
As you know, in the past, interesting statements made by former Prime Ministers and Interior Ministers on this subject became a matter of joke, going down in our political history as “funny answers” and “funny explanations” to things.
For example, the late former Prime Minister İrsen Küçük described the TRNC population as “crowded” in 2010.
Yes, we were crowded back then, and we are even more crowded today… The fact that we are ‘crowded’ is true, but it does not provide the exact answer to the question, “What is the population of the TRNC?’
In 2023, on the other hand, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel stated, “We know the population, but I cannot disclose it; there are some numbers that cannot be revealed.”
The issue of the TRNC’s population has been in the news countless times, made headlines in newspapers, been the subject of innumerable opinion pieces, been brought up in parliament repeatedly, and opposition MPs have asked the government, prime ministers, and interior ministers numerous times, “What is the population of the TRNC?”…
However, for years, no satisfactory answer has been given regarding the population of the TRNC. Answers provided from time to time were also found unsatisfactory…
Actually, this is not a matter of recent times; in 1990, the words of late President Rauf Raif Denktaş’s on the population also made headlines.
Criticised for not disclosing the details of the 1990 census, then-President Rauf Raif Denktaş told a trade unionist who visited him three years after the census, “We will investigate where everyone came from and understand the situation.”
These remarks were featured on the front page of Yenidüzen in its July 1993 edition…
The 1990 census was also heavily criticised at the time for not sharing data on demographic (population science) details with the public and revealing the population as 173,224.
Rauf Raif Denktaş had said, “We will investigate where everyone came from and understand the situation.” So what was the issue about investigating and understanding where people came from? How many people had come from where, and how many people had become citizens? It seems having this information known was not desired and was considered unfavourable.
Today, it is still considered problematic; Prime Minister Ünal Üstel’s statement, “We know the population, but I cannot disclose it; there are some numbers that cannot be revealed,” echoes the words of late Denktaş. Like him, Üstel also finds it problematic to disclose information regarding the population.
Today, the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior’s refusal to disclose information regarding the population, their evasive statements, and their promises to ‘look into it’ all stem from that same fear of what is deemed unfavourable.
Neither the ‘de jure’ population is fully known, nor the ‘de facto’ population… No information is provided about the actual citizens of the TRNC, nor about all the people residing in the country…
The mindset among the country’s leaders is: “Don’t ask me about the population, or I’ll be cross with you…” The truth is that the demographic structure has been kept a secret for years… All characteristics of the population—density, migration and birth rates, socio-economic factors such as age, gender, place of residence, occupation, family status, and income—are not supposed to be known. Because this data will reveal certain truths to us…
Meanwhile, estimated figures provided by some ministers in the past were also found to be unconvincing. At times, the President announced different figures, and the government announced different ones…
The population of the TRNC is important in every respect. It is even brought to the table during negotiations…
It is evident that the population is increasing every year. The population is growing and changing, this is very clear… State hospitals and public schools are visibly overwhelmed by the population pressure and have become inadequate… The increase in the number of vehicles, excessive traffic congestion, and roads that are no longer sufficient for vehicles are also signs of population growth. Heavy urbanisation is also telling us something, as is the constant increase in crime…
In fact, there is chaos in the country due to overpopulation… However, despite this, the population is not being disclosed…
Can there be any country whose population remains unknown? Or, is it possible for leaders to not know the population of their countries? Is it right, or ethical to know and not disclose it?
Can strategic plans be developed without knowing the population? Alright, the country’s leaders probably don’t have any intention of developing any strategic plans, or thinking about the future, but still, in a place that calls itself a ‘state,’ knowing and disclosing the population is a must.
Even if it doesn’t seem realistic to me, government representatives occasionally talk about their vision for the future, the so-called development plan, plans for the next five, or ten years, macro goals, and so on; how can these plans be drafted, how will the future be shaped, and how will societal needs be met in a country where the population remains unknown? For example, how realistic is it to make urban development plans without knowing the population?
The Nicosia Hospital, which has been promised for years but has not been built, is always referred to as having ‘500 beds.’ In my opinion, this number should be heightened because a 500-bed hospital is not enough for the population of the capital.
For example, a new and bigger prison was built, but it is insufficient. Even though the old one is still being used, the new prison is inadequate. There are around 900 prisoners and detainees in the prison, and the number is being reduced through frequent conditional releases. This shows that the population is increasing, and so are crime rates.
Those in power frequently speak of a bright future, but it is impossible to talk about a bright future in a country that does not know its population, is drowning in crowds, and is facing numerous problems due to overpopulation. At best, it is just empty talk…
No matter what you say, or choose not to say, you cannot hide the fact that the Turkish Cypriot population is steadily decreasing while the number of foreigners is increasing. Whether you want to hear it or not, this is the truth.
This article was originally published on 25.06.2025
Source: “DON’T ASK ME ABOUT THE POPULATION, OR I’LL GET CROSS!”
