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Klepini is situated on the northern slopes of the Kyrenia range, seven miles east of the town of Kyrenia. It was always a Greek Cypriot dominated small village, though Turkish Cypriots had their own small neighborhood. The village always had two names, the Greek Klepini and Turkish Arapköy. The Greek name means “stolen” or “hidden.” This village may also be the Maronite village of “Cleipiris " mentioned by Dandini in 1596. On the other hand, Turkish Cypriots always called the village Arapköy, meaning “Arab village.” The name probably can be traced to the origins of the village, since it is believed that when the Ottomans arrived in Cyprus, Klepini was inhabited by Arabic-speaking Maronites.
Historical Population:
As can be seen from the chart above, in the Ottoman census of 1831, Christians (Greek Cypriots) constituted almost 75% of the population. Approximately ten years after the beginning of the British administration in the island, this number fell to 71%. However, this percentage gradually increased. In 1960, when the island gained independence, Greek Cypriots constituted almost 88% of the village’s population.
Displacement:
Due to intercommunal strife, in January 1964 some of the Turkish Cypriots fled from the village and took refuge in Kazafani/Ozanköy(229) village. However, in early March 1964 the Greek Cypriot National Guard attacked the Turkish Cypriot quarter of Kazafani(229) village. When a ceasefire was arranged, almost 40% of the Turkish Cypriots left the village, as well as all the displaced persons of Klepini. Many of them were moved to the camps in Ağırdağ(211) and Boghaz(215). However, those Turkish Cypriots of Klepini who did not leave the village in 1964, remained in the village until 1974. After 1968, many of those who left in 1964 also returned to the village.
The displacement of all the Greek Cypriots from this village took place in 1974, when they fled from the advancing Turkish army in July and sought refuge in the south. Currently the Greek Cypriots of Klepini are scattered throughout the island’s south. The number of the Greek Cypriots from this village who were displaced in 1974 was around 175 (173 in 1973).
Current Inhabitants: Apart from the original Turkish Cypriots of Klepini who returned in 1968 and after 1974, there are Turkish Cypriots from the neighboring village of Trapeza(250) and some Turkish Cypriots from Nicosia who currently reside in Klepini. There are also people from Turkey who settled in the village in the late 1970s. They came from many different parts of Turkey, but the largest number came from the small town of Bozova in southern Turkey. During the last ten years, many European citizens have also bought property and settled in the village. In addition, the village hosts many immigrant workers, mainly from Turkey, who are employed primarily in construction. The 2006 Turkish Cypriot census put the village’s population at 380.
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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