Musi̇c i̇n the Cyprus East Mesarya Regi̇on's (Mesarga Plai̇n)henna ni̇ght tradi̇ti̇on

This thesis focuses on the examination of performative and discursive applications which take place in henna nights in East Mesaoria Region on the cultural basis. Not having an international recognition of "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" which was established under the guarantorship of Republic of Turkey in 1974, brings a rough ride, in the sense of identity, to those people who lives in the northern part of the island in the sense of identity, especially on the political ground. These political issues are also reflected on the academic and cultural studies relevant to this part of the island. This study has been built on the identification of the current state of the island, which is a state of including two separate binational countries on it, and a great effort has been made not to create any political and cultural arguments as much as possible, but only data have been gathered in terms of musicology and evaluated in an institutional framework. As an ethnographic study which supports the general acceptance that a culture does not stand discrete at all; moreover, even collateral communities decompose from each other with some behaviors, this thesis deals with how Turkish people living on the Island Cyprus create themselves an identity area within the abovementioned political conjuncture, specific to their music. The Turkish who live in Cyprus has been witnessing to their own differentiations in time and the production of a new hybrid culture with cultural contact with Turkish people who migrate from Turkey to Cyprus. Thus, on the basis of Turkishness, application owners specific to music and henna nights in Cyprus are categorized in two different groups: those who local Cyprus residents (natives) are defined as "Cypriot Turks"; and migrants from Turkey, especially after 1974 are defined as "Turkey Turks". With scrutinizing the performances which are practiced at henna nights by this heterogeneous society living under the roof of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, it will be attempted to reveal how they shape their cultural identities within the frame of the dynamics that produce the differences between performances, especially within the frame of musical axis. Key Words: Cyprus, Mesarya Plain, Music, Henna, Cultural İdentity