A comparative analysis of religious beliefs and practices of native Cypriots and Turkish immigrants in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: The case of Güzelyurt district

This study aims to compare and analyse the religious beliefs and practices of native Cypriots in the Cypriot community and Anatolian Immigrants settled in Cyprus within the scope of 1974 Policy of Settlement. The study was conducted in Güzelyurt district and its villages. The religious beliefs and practices of individuals in the community, sharing the same settlement area for 46 years, show differences. The study is based on the detection of the reason of these difference, issues in interaction and the barriers preventing interaction. In chapter one, the study was conducted on the historical period affecting native Cypriots, the transfer of immigrants to the island, the conflicts on the island after the immigration and the reasons of religious differences. In chapter two, the religious beliefs and practices of natives and immigrants and public beliefs were found out and compared in accordance with the obtained findings. Moreover, the issues of interaction among communities, the fields which are not an issue of interaction, and the reasons of the prevention of interactions were evaluated.