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ORTAKEUY

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Ortaköy was formerly a village, but now is a suburb of Nicosia, located west of the capital. Ortaköy means “middle village” in Turkish, a name that it acquired because of its location between Trakhonas/Kızılay and Geunyeli/Gönyeli. It was always predominantly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots. The other name often used by Greek Cypriots is Minzelli. Ortakeuy became a suburb in the late 1950s, when Nicosia’s population began to spread outside the city walls.
 
 
Historical Population:

Until 1931, Ortakeuy/Ortaköy was predominantly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots. According to the British census of 1891, Muslims constituted the sole population of Ortakeuy/Ortaköy. The population of Ortakeuy/Ortaköy became less homogenous in the 1930s, when some Greek Cypriots moved into the area. During the 1950s, there were also British and Armenian inhabitants of the village, which by then had become a neighborhood of the expanding capital. In 1960, the population of Ortakeuy/Ortaköy was 1,248 (997 Turkish Cypriots, 50 Greek Cypriots, 63 Armenians and 117 British and others).

Displacement:

The first conflict-related displacement occurred during the intercommunal disturbances of the 1960s, when the Greek Cypriot and Armenian inhabitants of Ortakeuy/Ortaköy left the neighborhood. They were never allowed back. Also, during the same period, Ortakeuy/Ortaköy became an important displaced persons reception center for Turkish Cypriots. Many displaced Turkish Cypriots from nearby neighborhoods and villages arrived there, and a large refugee camp was erected in the northern part of the neighborhood. Most of these displaced families came from villages such as Skylloura/Yılmazköy(096), Akaki/Akaça(013), Deneia(027), Agios Vasileios/Türkeli(010), Peristerona(085), Kato Lakadameia(057); from neighborhoods such as Tahtakale and Omeriye in the walled city Nicosia(074); and from the Omorfita/Küçük Kaymaklı(077) suburb.

Current Inhabitants:

Currently the neighborhood is mainly occupied by its original Turkish Cypriot inhabitants and displaced Turkish Cypriots who moved there in 1964 and 1974. In addition, development in the area over the past two decades has brought many other non-displaced Turkish Cypriots from elsewhere, who have bought homes and settled in the neighborhood. Ortaköy also houses some Turkish nationals who come to work or study in Cyprus. The population of Ortaköy increased from 4,180 in 1978 to 6,277 in 2006. 


 
REFERENCES
 
Books and Reports:
  • Colonial Office (1893), “Cyprus: Report on the census of Cyprus, taken 6th April 1891,” Mediterranean, No. 39. London: Colonial Office.
  • Department of Statitstics and Research, 1997. Estimates of Turkish Cypriots and Settlers from Turkey, Ministry of Finance [Republic of Cyprus], Nicosia.
  • Fehmi, Hasan (2003), “Güney’de Kalan Değerlerimiz,” Lefkoşa (Nicosia): Özyay Matbaacılık.
  • Fellahoğlu, Esat (2010), “Ulusal Direnişte Baf Köyleri,” İstanbul: Bayrak Matbaacılık.
  • Giray, Halil: KKTC Yerleşim Birimleri, Yürürlükteki ve Eski İsimler Listesi KKTC İskân Bakanlığı : KKTC Coğrafi İsimler Kataloğu : (Cilt – I and II), Lefkoşa.
  • Goodwin, Jack C. (1984), “An Historical Toponymy of Cyprus (Forth edition),” Nicosia (copy number 6).
  • Hart-Davis, C. H (1922), “Report and general abstracts of the census of 1921, taken on the 24th April, 1921,” London: Waterlow & Sons.
  • Hart-Davis, C. H (1932), “Report of the Census of 1931,” Nicosia: Cyprus Government Printing Office.
  • Hatay, Mete, (2005). “Beyond Numbers: An Inquiery into the Political Integration of the Turkish ‘Settlers’ in Northern Cyprus,” PRIO/Cyprus Centre Report  4/2005, Nicosia/Oslo, PRIO.
  • Hill, Sir George, (1952). A History of Cyprus, Vol. IV., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  • Ioannides, Christos P., 1991. “In Turkey’s Image: The Transformation of Occupied Cyprus into a Turkish Province,” Aristide D. Caratzas, New York.
  • KKTC Başbakanlık Devlet Planlama Örgütü Müsteşarlığı, “15 Aralık 1996 Genel Nüfus Sayımı Sonuçları (Özet), 26, November 1997,” Nicosia.
  • Mavrogordato, Alexander (1901), “Report and general abstracts of the census of 1901, taken on the 1st April, 1901,” Nicosia: Government Printing Office.
  • Mavrogordato, Alexander (1912), “Report and general abstracts of the census of 1911, taken on the 2nd April, 1911,” London:  Waterlow & Sons.
  • Menardos, Simos (2001), Τοπωνημικαι και Λαογραφικαι Μελεται (Topographical and Folkloric Studies), Nicosia: Centre for Scientific Studies
    Perry, Frederic W., 1884. Report on the Census of Cyprus 1881, Eyre and Spottiswoode, London.
  • Republic of Cyprus, 1961. “Census of Population and Agriculture, 1960: Volume I: Population by Location, Race, and Sex,” Nicosia
  • TRNC 2006 census preliminary results can be found at:  www.devplan.org
    TRNC Prime Ministry State Planning Organisation Statistics and Research Department, Census of Population: Social and Economic Characteristics of Population, December 15, 1996, TRNC Prime Ministry, Nicosia, 1999.
  • Standing Cypriot Commission for the Standardization of Geographical Names (2007), “Οδηγος Τυποποιησης Ονοματων (Guide to Standardized Names),” Nicosia: Ministry of Education and Culture.
  • Ministry of Finance (1973), “Micro-Census (April 1973) Population by Village and Ethnic Group, Volume I.” Nicosia: Department of Statistics and Research.
  • Özad, Murat Hüsnü (2002), “Baf ve Mücadele Yılları,” Lefkoşa (Nicosia): Akdeniz Haber Ajansı Yayınları.
  • Patrick, Richard (1976), “Political Geography and the Cyprus Conflict: 1963-1971,” Department of Geography, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo.
  • Percival, D.A. (1949), “Census of population and agriculture 1946 report,” Nicosia: Cyprus Government Printing Office.
  • Republic of Cyprus (1962), “Census of population and agriculture, 1960,” Nicosia: Government Printing Office.
  • Republic of Cyprus (1984), “Census of population 1982,” Nicosia: Department of Statistics and Research, Ministry of Finance.
  • Republic of Cyprus (2003), “Census of population 2001,” Nicosia: Department of Statistics and Research, Ministry of Finance.
  • St John-Jones, L. W., 1983. “The Population of Cyprus: Demographic Trends and  Socio-Economic Influences” (with a foreword by W. H. Morris-Jones), Maurice  Temple, Smith Limited, London.
  • T.C. Başbakanlık Devlet Arşivleri Genel Müdürlüğü (2000), “Osmanlı İdaresinde Kıbrıs (Nüfus-Arazi Dağılımı ve Türk Vakıfları),” Ankara: Osmanlı Arşivi Daire Başkanlığı Yayın No: 43.
  • Yorgancıoğlu,  Oğuz: Kıbrıs’ta Türkçe Yer Adları ve Veriliş Yöntemleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma Kıbrıs Araştırmaları Dergisi, Cilt : 2, Sayı : 3, Yıl : 96


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