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Prior to 1974, Agios Epiktitos/Çatalköy was one of the largest villages in the Kyrenia region. It is situated almost six kilometers east of the town of Kyrenia. Although Turkish Cypriots had their small neighborhood until 1958, it was always a Greek Cypriot dominated settlement. The village always had two names, the Greek Agios Epiktitos and the Turkish Çatalköy. The Greek name of the village comes from a German saint who supposedly came to Cyprus in the 12 th century. The Turkish name literally means “forked village,” probably acquiring this name because of a forked road in the middle of the village.
Historical Population:
As may be seen from the chart above, in the Ottoman census of 1831, Muslims (Turkish Cypriots) constituted almost 26% of the population. Approximately ten years after the beginning of the British administration in the island, this number fell to 17%. Until 1931, the town’s Turkish population continued to decline, while the Greek population grew. In 1946, after the Second World War, Turkish Cypriots constituted only 6% of the town’s population. By 1960 there were only 9 Turkish Cypriots living in the village.
Displacement:
Due to intercommunal strife, all the Turkish Cypriots (around 60-70) were displaced from the village in 1958 and took refuge in Nicosia. Only nine of these went back to the village in 1960 and due to the later intercommunal strife they were displaced once again in January 1964 and took refuge first in Kazafani/Ozanköy, and then in the Agirda/Boghaz camp. Turkish Cypriots of the village remained in enclaves until the end of 1974, when some went back to Agios Epiktitos and the rest settled in Nicosia permanently.
The third displacement took place in July-August 1974, when most of the Greek Cypriots from Agios Epiktitos fled from the advancing Turkish army. However, 160 Greek Cypriots of the village were enclaved here until October 1975. Eventually they were all transferred to the other side of the divide by September 1976. Currently, the Greek Cypriots of Agios Epiktitos are scattered throughout the island’s south, with small pockets in towns. The number of the Greek Cypriots who were displaced in 1974 was around 1,260 (1,252 in1973).
Current Inhabitants:
Apart from the original Turkish Cypriots of Agios Epiktitos who returned in 1974 and 1975, there are displaced Turkish Cypriot from the island’s south, primarily from the Limassol area, mainly from Avdimou/Düzkaya village. There are also some Turkish Cypriots from Prastio/Yuvalı village in Paphos district. During the last ten years, many European citizens and Turkish Cypriots from elsewhere in Cyprus have bought property and settled in the village, which has become a small town. In addition, the village hosts many immigrant workers, mainly from Turkey and Pakistan, who are employed primarily in construction, gardening and tourism. The 2006 Turkish Cypriot census puts the village’s de jure population at 4,283. This number can easily go up to 6,000 on weekends and during holiday seasons.
References
REFERENCES
Books and Reports:
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Colonial Office (1893), “Cyprus: Report on the census of Cyprus, taken 6th April 1891,” Mediterranean, No. 39. London: Colonial Office.
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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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