Holding Back or Pushing Forward? Patron-Client Relations and Elite Navigations in Northern Cyprus

Abstract

This paper focuses on the patron-client relationship (PCR) between Turkey and Northern Cyprus. The PCR becomes visible in asymmetrically configured reciprocal exchanges that create dependence on patron states. These exchanges may motivate de facto states to defy, dictate, or demand patronage from their patron states, depending on their ontological insecurities, which are expressed both by the public in general and by the political elite in particular. The paper investigates the elite navigations that occur when de facto authorities prioritize local political interests to compensate for the failure of self-realization stemming from non-recognition or when they seek to mitigate external dominance.

Acknowledgements

Our gratitude belongs to Ahmet Sözen, Yücel Vural, Mehmet Ali Talat, Mustafa Akıncı, Cemal Özyiğit, Mete Hatay, Direnç Kanol, Esra Aygın, Yonca Özdemir and two anonymous referees for valuable insights and comments. We also owe special thanks to Helge Blakkisrud and Pål Kolstø for their guidance in research on elite navigations and patron-client relations. This work was supported by the Kristjan Jaak Scholarship under the Archimedes Foundation mobility scheme (5.1-2/20/19-4, 2021) and by the Research Council of Norway (Project No. 22890-1 “Dynamics of De Facto State Patron-client Relations”, 2020–2023).

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Even Somaliland which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary of de facto statehood can only be seen as a partial exception as Ethiopia provides some support to its viability.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Kristjan Jaak Scholarship under the Archimedes Foundation mobility scheme (5.1-2/20/19-4, 2021) and by the Research Council of Norway (Project No. 22890–1 ‘Dynamics of De Facto State Patron-client Relations’, 2020-2023).