Millet System is Alive : Path-Dependency in Turkish and Cypriot Minority Incorporation Patterns

The paper argues that the legacy of the Ottoman 'millet system' still bases identity policies and problems in contemporary Turkey and Cyprus. The Ottoman millet system recognized diversity institutionally and created a political environment for the reproduction of diverse cultures to a certain extent. However, given the complexity of contemporary politics and increasingly pluralized aspects of identity, millet system does not provide a promising ground to satisfy the demands of certain identity groups and to build political legitimacy and nation-wide solidarity; because millet system (1) does not appreciate the inherent value of diversity, but accepts it as an inevitable fact; (2) defines diversity narrowly around the notion of religion; (3) does not recognize intra-community diversity; and (4) promotes strict authority hierarchies within and between identity groups