This paper explores whether Northern Cyprus is unfairly excluded or misrepresented in major international measurements of democratic quality.
It begins by outlining the concept of democracy indices—such as Polity IV, Freedom House, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, V-Dem, and the Democracy Barometer—which aim to quantify the level of democracy in different countries. The author argues that while these indices claim to promote fairness, equality, and transparency, they fail to include non-recognized states like Northern Cyprus, thus creating a form of ethnic or political discrimination.
After providing a brief historical overview of Cyprus—its division in 1974 into a Greek-speaking south and a Turkish-speaking north—the paper compares how these indices treat the island. The author highlights that most datasets only list “Cyprus,” implicitly referring to the Republic of Cyprus, while Northern Cyprus remains invisible. This omission, according to the paper, reflects political bias and the influence of international recognition rather than objective data collection.
Table of Contents
- INTRODUCTION...........3
- CYPRUS' BRIEF HISTORY AND EFFECTS OF THE HISTORY INTO THE QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY MEASUREMENTS...........5
- COMPARISION OF NORTHERN CYPRUS IN YEARS OF 2020 AND 2021 IN THE INDEX OF FREEDOM HOUSE...........13
- CONCLUSION...14
- BIBLIOGRAPHY....16
Objective & Thematic Focus
This paper fundamentally investigates whether there is discrimination against Northern Cyprus within quality of democracy indices. Its primary objective is to highlight and critique the systemic bias within these measurements due to the non-recognition of Northern Cyprus, asserting that such exclusion is a form of discrimination.
- Analysis of quality of democracy measurements and their limitations.
- Examination of the historical context of Cyprus and its impact on democracy measurements.
- Investigation into the non-representation of non-recognised states in international democracy indices.
- Specific case study of Northern Cyprus and its exclusion from major democracy indices like Polity IV, Economist Intelligence Unit, and V-Dem.
- Comparison of Northern Cyprus's data in the Freedom House index for 2020 and 2021.
- Critique of the inherent biases in liberal democracy measurement frameworks.
Excerpt from the Book
IS THERE ANY DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS NORTHERN CYPRUS IN THE QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY INDICES?
While the purpose of the quality of democracy measurements is to achieve more democratic countries and societies, there is not enough representation of some countries because of the bias towards them. Because some countries in the world are not recognised by the international law. The non-recognition of a country, lead to difficulties in international arena, e.g., international trade, economical obstacles etc. But does the non-recognition of a country also lead to non-measurement in the quality of democracy indices?
The answer to the question is yes. In the literature, we can find articles that mentions the struggles of non-recognised states in terms of law, e.g., Basedow (2019) as well as articles mentions the human rights in the non-recognised states, e.g., Cullen and Wheatley (2013). On the other hand, we cannot find any articles mentions non-measurements of the non-recognised states in the quality of democracy measurements.
The lack of having articles in terms of non-recognised state's representation in the quality of democracy indices is discrimination. The terms discrimination means that the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. (APA, 2021). The non-representation of a whole ethnic group is consequence of the bias towards them and this bias lead to discrimination. Just because international law does not recognise a state, does not indicate that the people who live there is not important to understand the democratic values of the social group. If we are talking about democracy, we must include everybody in this world.
Not showing an entire social group in the quality of democracy indices is a problem. And this problem leads to non-measurements of non-recognised states in the quality of democracy indices. The issue of Northern Cyprus will be examined throughout the course of the paper.
The discrimination towards Northern Cyprus in the quality of democracy indices is the type of racial/ethnic discrimination. This paper aims to show the discrimination and criticise the indices for having discrimination towards Northern Cyprus in the quality of democracy indices.
Theoretical approach of this paper is the case study of Northern Cyprus' in the quality of democracy measurements and there will be comparison between the quality of democracy measurements and this paper has the critic of having lack of representation of Northern Cyprus in the quality of democracy indices.
Chapter Summaries
INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the evolution of democracy measurements, highlights the problem of underrepresentation for non-recognised states, and outlines the paper's aim to investigate discrimination against Northern Cyprus in these indices.
CYPRUS' BRIEF HISTORY AND EFFECTS OF THE HISTORY INTO THE QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY MEASUREMENTS: This section provides a historical overview of Cyprus's division and critically examines how this historical context leads to the exclusion of Northern Cyprus from most quality of democracy measurements, emphasizing the lack of separate data.
COMPARISION OF NORTHERN CYPRUS IN YEARS OF 2020 AND 2021 IN THE INDEX OF FREEDOM HOUSE: This chapter specifically analyzes Northern Cyprus's performance in the Freedom House index for 2020 and 2021, detailing its scores and explaining the observed changes in political rights, particularly attributing them to external pressures from Turkey.
CONCLUSION: The concluding chapter reiterates the paper's findings that most quality of democracy indices exhibit discrimination and bias against Northern Cyprus due to its non-recognition, advocating for the inclusion of all non-recognised states and their populations for a more accurate and equitable understanding of democracy worldwide.
Keywords
Democracy measurements, Quality of democracy, Northern Cyprus, Discrimination, Non-recognised states, Freedom House, Polity IV, Economist Intelligence Unit, V-Dem, Political rights, Civil liberties, International law, Bias, Cyprus history, State recognition
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work fundamentally about?
This work fundamentally investigates whether Northern Cyprus faces discrimination in quality of democracy indices due to its non-recognition under international law, arguing that such exclusion represents a bias in these measurements.
What are the central thematic areas?
The central thematic areas include the methodologies of democracy measurement, the challenges faced by non-recognised states in international data, the specific case of Northern Cyprus's representation, and the inherent biases within various democracy indices.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary objective is to demonstrate and criticize the discrimination against Northern Cyprus within quality of democracy indices, addressing the research question: "IS THERE ANY DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS NORTHERN CYPRUS IN THE QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY INDICES?"
Which scientific method is used?
The theoretical approach of this paper is primarily a case study of Northern Cyprus, complemented by a comparative analysis of its representation (or lack thereof) across different quality of democracy indices.
What is covered in the main part?
The main part of the paper covers a brief history of Cyprus and its impact on democracy measurements, a detailed comparison of Northern Cyprus's standing in indices like Freedom House, Economist Intelligence Unit, Polity IV, and V-Dem, and an analysis of the discrimination observed.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by keywords such as Democracy measurements, Quality of democracy, Northern Cyprus, Discrimination, Non-recognised states, Freedom House, Political rights.
Why is Northern Cyprus often excluded from democracy indices?
Northern Cyprus is often excluded from democracy indices primarily because it is not recognised by international law as a separate state, leading to a bias in measurements that prioritize internationally recognised entities.
Which democracy index is an exception in including Northern Cyprus, and why?
Freedom House is an exception in including Northern Cyprus as a separate entity because it focuses on the freedom of people in various countries and territories, including non-recognised states like Northern Cyprus, Abkhazia, and Somaliland.
How did political rights in Northern Cyprus change between 2020 and 2021 according to Freedom House?
According to Freedom House, Northern Cyprus's political rights score dropped from 31/50 in 2020 to 28/50 in 2021, mainly due to significant pressure from the Turkish government on the October 2020 elections, affecting the fairness of the electoral process and the freedom of political choices.
- Citation du texte
- Özden Bulutbeyaz (Auteur), 2021, Is There Any Discrimination Towards Northern Cyprus in the Quality of Democracy Indices?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1669779
