An Island of (Dis)Agreement Within Modern Turkish Historiography: the Chronic Conquest(s) of Cyprus Through the Turkish Past, Present and Future

This article discusses how the Turkish historical narratives of Cyprus evolved in mutually antagonistic and constitutive ways from the 1920s to the 1970s. Based on a genealogical perspective and a thematic focus on the conquest(s) of the island, it ultimately questions how and why Islamist authors approached the island’s history and in what ways they reproduced and/or challenged the official historiography and ruling ideology of the Turkish Republic. In doing so, the article attempts to contextualize the development and transformation of modern Turkish historiography, standing at the juncture of possible pasts, presents and futures, along with identity formations, ideologies and political upheavals.