Northern Cyprus Research Articles

The Impact of Turkish Cypriot Folktales on Middle School Students' Social Skills

Folktales, as products of oral culture, play a significant role in supporting children's language development during their preschool and primary school years. They facilitate children's adaptation to social and cultural environments and contribute significantly to their cultural and educational lives. Additionally, folktales enhance children's social skills, including critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, planning, analysis, and coping with stress. This study aims to investigate how Turkish Cypriot folktales influence the social skills of middle school students. This research highlights the potential of folktales in enhancing children's social skills. A mixed-methods research design was employed to measure the impact of Turkish Cypriot folktales on middle school students' social skills. The study group consists of 56 students attending a private school in the Northern Cyprus. The quantitative data collection tool used was the "Matson Evaluation of Social Skills in Children (MESSY)" scale, and two open-ended interview questions created by the researchers were administered. According to the quantitative data, the intervention of teaching social skills with Cyprus Turkish folktales did not statistically make a difference on the experimental group students. However, the qualitative data revealed that according to the expressions of the participating students, Cyprus Turkish folktales have increased their awareness of social skills such as problem-solving, planning, analysis, and coping with stress.

Efficacy and Safety of Sacral Neuromodulation in Patients with Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction: A Five-Year Experience in North Cyprus

Efficacy and Safety of Sacral Neuromodulation in Patients with Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction: A Five-Year Experience in North Cyprus

Awareness, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Adults About Vaccination in the North Cyprus

Awareness, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Adults About Vaccination in the North Cyprus

Nonlinear Static Analysis of RC Buildings: Effects of Soil Type and Seismic Code Differences on Structural Performance

Reinforced concrete (RC) building construction remains predominant in Northern Cyprus, offering resilience against natural disasters when appropriately designed and implemented. The study presents a seismic analysis of RC building models across different soil classes, stories, and configurations, according to multiple seismic design codes: Eurocode 8 (EC8), Northern Cyprus Seismic Code 2015 (NCSC-2015), and Turkish Buildings Earthquake Code 2018 (TBEC-2018). This paper compares regular and irregular forms of Moment Resisting Frame (MRF) and MRF combined with Shear Walls (MRF+SW) systems in various configurations. These configurations include G+3, G+7, and G+11 for regular buildings, and only G+11 for irregular buildings. Pushover analysis using ETABSv18 was employed to assess the base shear, plastic hinge behavior, and displacement. The results indicate that the regularity of the structures enhances resistance and longevity compared to irregular configurations, with shear walls augmenting resistance against earthquake loads in both regular and irregular buildings. Furthermore, soil class emerges as a significant factor influencing results across the codes. While variations among the codes were not consistently observed, EC 8 and TBEC-2018 often appeared more conservative, with TBEC-2018 demonstrating greater adaptability to advanced technologies and a more detailed parameter consideration.

Nonlinear Static Analysis of RC Buildings: Effects of Soil Type and Seismic Code Differences on Structural Performance

Reinforced concrete (RC) building construction remains predominant in Northern Cyprus, offering resilience against natural disasters when appropriately designed and implemented. The study presents a seismic analysis of RC building models across different soil classes, stories, and configurations, according to multiple seismic design codes: Eurocode 8 (EC8), Northern Cyprus Seismic Code 2015 (NCSC-2015), and Turkish Buildings Earthquake Code 2018 (TBEC-2018). This paper compares regular and irregular forms of Moment Resisting Frame (MRF) and MRF combined with Shear Walls (MRF+SW) systems in various configurations. These configurations include G+3, G+7, and G+11 for regular buildings, and only G+11 for irregular buildings. Pushover analysis using ETABSv18 was employed to assess the base shear, plastic hinge behavior, and displacement. The results indicate that the regularity of the structures enhances resistance and longevity compared to irregular configurations, with shear walls augmenting resistance against earthquake loads in both regular and irregular buildings. Furthermore, soil class emerges as a significant factor influencing results across the codes. While variations among the codes were not consistently observed, EC 8 and TBEC-2018 often appeared more conservative, with TBEC-2018 demonstrating greater adaptability to advanced technologies and a more detailed parameter consideration.

Relationship between authentic leadership, service quality, organizational commitment and work engagement: testing a moderated mediation model

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to determine how and why authentic leadership affects service quality. For this aim, a conceptual model comprising authentic leadership, service quality, organizational commitment and work engagement has been proposed.Design/methodology/approachPrivate sector employees from various sectors in North Cyprus were targeted for this research. Through convenience sampling, we collected 298 responses at Time 1 and 265 responses at Time 2. After data cleaning, the total responses available for analysis were 258 (the response rate is 72%). The five-step strategy was applied for translation, and the data were analyzed using IBM AMOS 21.0.FindingsFindings show authentic leadership influences service quality directly and indirectly through organizational commitment. Moreover, work engagement has a moderated mediation position in this relationship.Originality/valueThe research model is a new attempt in the literature and contributes to leadership research by testing the effects of authentic leadership on service quality through the moderated mediation effect of work engagement.

Towards Sustainable Energy Solutions: Evaluating the Impact of Floating PV Systems in Reducing Water Evaporation and Enhancing Energy Production in Northern Cyprus

Floating photovoltaic systems (FPVSs) are gaining popularity, especially in countries with high population density and abundant solar energy resources. FPVSs provide a variety of advantages, particularly in situations where land is limited. Therefore, the main objective of the study is to evaluate the solar energy potential and investigate the techno-economic perspective of FPVSs at 15 water reservoirs in Northern Cyprus for the first time. Due to the solar radiation variations, solar power generation is uncertain; therefore, precise characterization is required to manage the grid effectively. In this paper, four distribution functions (Johnson SB, pert, Phased Bi-Weibull, and Kumaraswamy) are newly introduced to analyze the characteristics of solar irradiation, expressed by global horizontal irradiation (GHI), at the selected sites. These distribution functions are compared with common distribution functions to assess their suitability. The results demonstrated that the proposed distribution functions, with the exception of Phased Bi-Weibull, outperform the common distribution regarding fitting GHI distribution. Moreover, this work aims to evaluate the effects of floating photovoltaic systems on water evaporation rates at 15 reservoirs. To this aim, five methods were used to estimate the rate of water evaporation based on weather data. Different scenarios of covering the reservoir’s surface with an FPVS were studied and discussed. The findings showed that annual savings at 100% coverage can reach 6.21 × 105 m3 compared to 0 m3 without PV panels. Finally, technical and economic assessment of FPVSs with various scales, floating assemblies, and PV technologies was conducted to determine the optimal system. The results revealed that a floating structure (North orientation-tilt 6°) and bifacial panels produced the maximum performance for the proposed FPVSs at the selected sites. Consequently, it is observed that the percentage of reduction in electricity production from fossil fuel can be varied from 10.19% to 47.21% at 75% FPV occupancy.

Evaluation of Strategic Planning Practices of Managers in Primary Education Institutions

Purpose. Rapid changes that have affected the world from past to present have caused educational institutions to change in order to keep up with the times and raise people for the future. It has become important for educational institutions to turn to new approaches in order to keep up with the changes taking place, to overcome the problems they will encounter and to chart their future. What strategic planning, one of these approaches, can do in educational institutions has become more and more important day by day. One of the important factors in the applicability of strategic planning in educational institutions is the closeness of school administration and teachers to this concept. In this study, the strategic planning practices of administrators and teachers in primary education institutions in the Mesarya rural area, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will be aimed and evaluated in order to shed light on the knowledge level of administrators and teachers in the country's educational institutions about strategic planning, whether they carry out these plans in their schools, and similar questions. Methodology. In this regard, in order to achieve the intended goal, semi-structured interview questions were prepared, and the collected data was finalized based on expert opinions and a pilot application. As a sample, 5 administrators and 5 teachers in the Meserya rural area of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus were selected, and content analysis was conducted based on the data collected through face-to-face interviews. Result. As a result of the research, it was underlined that the administrators and teachers mostly did not make strategic planning in the schools where they worked. In light of the results, it is recommended that administrators and teachers who lack knowledge on this subject receive in-service training. Conclusion. This study afforded us the opportunity to assess the perspectives, knowledge, and experiences of principals and teachers working in primary schools in the rural Mesarya region of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus regarding strategic planning in education.

Study of pragmatic analysis of literature on the development of ELT students’ receptive and productive skills: A case of North Cyprus

Language serves as a mirror reflecting our understanding of the world and mirrors the world of literature. Pragmatics extends beyond mere literal interpretation, delving into comprehending subtle implications, varying expressions and lexical ambiguities. This deepens our exploration and appreciation of the world of literature. It is worth investigating whether pragmatic instruction can improve students' language awareness and competence. To this end, a quasi-experimental study involving the students of two English language teaching (ELT) classes was conducted to determine whether pragmatic treatment could enhance students' comprehension skills and to identify how effectively the pragmatic understanding of literature through Shakespeare's language could aid the development of receptive and productive skills in ELT students. Participants took two pre-tests: multiple-choice discourse completion task (MCDCT) and discourse completion task (DCT) based on Othello. After the treatment, the same tests were administered as post-tests. Results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in comprehension skills. Cohen's D effect size calculation confirmed the practical usefulness of the treatment and the significant difference between the two groups. The study concludes that pragmatic training using literary texts contributes to developing ELT students' pragmatic competence.

Medical students' tobacco consumption status and experiences with smoke-free law violations in enclosed spaces in Türkiye and Northern Cyprus

Medical students' tobacco consumption status and experiences with smoke-free law violations in enclosed spaces in Türkiye and Northern Cyprus

Scrobipalpa chardonnayi Huemer and Özden, sp. nov.: a new presumably endemic species from Cyprus (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae)

Scrobipalpa chardonnayi Huemer & Özden, sp. nov. is described from the limestone mountains of northern Cyprus and considered as a possible island endemism. The new species shows closer phylogenetic relationships to S. vasconiella (Rössler, 1877) and some related species, but differs phenotypically and in male and female genitalia, as well as through significant divergences in DNA barcode. Morphologically relevant diagnostic characters are compared and figured. Finally, S. vasconiella is reported from Kyrgyzstan for the first time.

Adaptive Reuse of Abandoned Churches in the Walled City of Famagusta, North Cyprus

There are so many abandoned heritage buildings worldwide and due to the lack of function and maintenance, they are ruined, deteriorate easily, and are forgotten. Similarly, abandoned valuable religious buildings faced vandalism deliberately because of the decreasing demand for use or lack of their communities. Some churches in Islamic countries are left useless and with no function, and North Cyprus is one of them. The Walled City of Famagusta has many historic religious buildings like cathedrals and churches. This research aims to develop proposals for the adaptive reuse of abandoned churches in the Walled City of Famagusta to overcome their current problems. The methodology of this historical research is qualitative and comparative. The data collection techniques are based on literature review and observation. This research will bring new perspectives on these churches' conservation for architects, historical researchers, and conservationists.

Determination of Neophobia Levels of Students Studying in Gastronomy Departments of Higher Education Institutions in Northern Cyprus

The food and beverage industry ranks among the sectors that are constantly open to innovation. Food neophobia refers to individuals' reluctance to consume foods they are not accustomed to or have not tried before. In the process of forming and maintaining eating habits, individuals may tend to prefer certain foods and not be open to new foods. We conducted our research on the students of the Culinary Arts Department at the American University of Cyprus and the Girne American University to look into this subject more in-depth. This study was conducted using the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) to understand students' fear of novelty in their food preferences. The data obtained from 182 students through face-to-face interviews and a supplemented questionnaire were evaluated and analyzed using statistical methods. The results of the study revealed that students generally showed an aversion to new foods. This reluctance has often caused individuals to avoid trying foods that are different from what they are used to. It is therefore seen as a critical step in understanding future trends in the food sector. The results of such research can be used to understand the younger generation's approach to new foods, the industry's product development strategies, consumer demands, educational institutions to update their curricula, and students to introduce innovative food products. Since there is no study on food neophobia between university students in Northern Cyprus, this research will shed light on future studies.

Ethical sensitivity and compassion competence in nursing students: Two-center study/comparison of two different cultures

BackgroundAlthough the literature includes studies on nursing students' ethical sensitivity and compassion competence, no study has examined and compared these skills among nursing students from different cultures. AimThis research determined and compared the ethical sensitivity and compassion competency levels of nursing students in two different geographies, one in Turkey (Group I) and one in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Group II), which hosts students with different cultural characteristics. DesignQuantitative and cross-sectional research. MethodThe research was conducted with 201 nursing students in Group I and Group II, who were studying in the English Nursing program at the Nursing Faculties, received clinical practice training, took ethics in nursing courses, and agreed to participate. “Sociodemographic Form,” “Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire,” and “Compassion Competence Scale” were used to collect data. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to evaluate the data. ResultsThe mean “Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire” scores of nursing students in Group I and Group II are 149.52 (SD 21.13) and 155.63 (SD 25.21), respectively. The mean scores of the nursing students in Group I and Group II on the “Compassion Competence Scale” are 3.88 (SD 0.47) and 4.29 (SD 0.50), respectively. It was determined that the “Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire” and “Compassion Competency Scale” mean scores of the nursing students in Group II were higher than those of the nursing students in Group I, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). ConclusionThe moral sensitivity and compassion competence of nursing students at the two universities were high. When the scores of the groups were compared, it was observed that the moral sensitivity and compassion competence levels of the nursing students in Group II were statistically significantly higher than those of the nursing students in Group I. The predictors of this were evaluated as to why students chose the nursing department, the country, and the department they liked.

Evaluation of the Knowledge, Opinion, and Approaches of Pharmacists, Physicians, Dieticians, and the Public on Herbal Products Used for Weight Control and Slimming in Northern Cyprus

Evaluation of the Knowledge, Opinion, and Approaches of Pharmacists, Physicians, Dieticians, and the Public on Herbal Products Used for Weight Control and Slimming in Northern Cyprus

A Cross-Sectional Study of Community Attitude towards Herbal Products against Hepatobiliary Diseases in Northern Cyprus

A Cross-Sectional Study of Community Attitude towards Herbal Products against Hepatobiliary Diseases in Northern Cyprus

TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTH CYPRUS TURKISH COURSE TEACHING CURRICULUM AND REVIEW OF TURKISH COURSE BOOKS

Cyprus is one of the places in the world where the Turkish population is concentrated. Today the island is divided into two. Turkish is spoken on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) side of Cyprus. Although TRNC has had close relations with Turkey for years and is connected to Turkey in many ways, it follows a different path from Turkey in terms of education. Contrary to popular belief, the curriculum and textbooks used in schools differ from those in Turkey. It is important to reveal the qualities of Turkish education carried out in TRNC secondary schools, to identify problems, to develop practical suggestions and thus to increase the efficiency of education and training activities in order for children living in TRNC to learn and preserve Turkish. tarting from this point, the aim of this research is to investigate the Turkish Course Curriculum and Turkish textbooks used in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The research was limited to the seventh grade level only. The research is a qualitative research and the document analysis method was used to investigate the textbooks and curriculum. As a result of the research, it was determined what the content of the curriculum and seventh grade Turkish textbooks was, and finally, suggestions regarding Turkish textbooks and Turkish course curriculum were presented.

An appraisal of smart homes users’ perceptions in North Cyprus student housing

The twenty-first century has seen many technological breakthroughs, the majority of which have been dubbed "smart technology." Smart phones, smart cars, smart gadgets, and smart homes are just a few examples. The purpose of this study was to investigate users' perceptions of smart homes while investigating the effectiveness of information technology from the architectural design stage to post-occupancy evaluation, with a focus on the effect of smart architectural elements of the building. The majority of the reviewed literary works concentrated on a few aspects of smart homes, such as energy-based smart homes, and investigated specific classes of gadgets. Although this study did not look into the business realities of smart home manufacturers in terms of information collection, it discovered a standard depiction of the smart connected home biological system in terms of its basic innovations, designs, and offered administrations. This resulted in a scientific categorization and quantitative examination of brilliant related home gadgets based on the actual determination of business gadgets. This resulted in an investigation and organization of information gathered by smart connected homes using genuine strategies obtained from other home manufacturers.

The uncomfortable truths of adaptive reuse: faith-to-faith conversion of religious heritage buildings in conflict environments

ABSTRACT Despite being regarded as a sustainable conservation strategy for safeguarding the material fabric of disused built heritage, adaptive reuse is an ethically problematic practice when considering faith-to-faith conversions of defunct religious buildings in politically complex environments. This paper aims to explore the scope of the spatial transformations and symbolic representations involved in such conversions, as well as their ramifications on the pre-existing memory and identity of the place. Theoretical explorations are illustrated with empirical data from fieldwork on church-to-mosque conversions in northern Cyprus. The paper argues that faith-to-faith adaptive heritage reuse undoubtedly aids in the protection of the architectural fabric of disused structures from ruination and preserves their original architectural expressions. However, the practice becomes contentious when former users continue to claim rights to the religious site, as the theological principles and power politics shaping the conversion can potentially ignore their religious values and material culture. But more importantly, when sacred and secular merges and nationalist representations emerge on the religious heritage sites, it radically transforms the identity and pre-existing memory of the landscape, aggravating the tension regarding the former and current users’ rights to these sites.

The relationship between self-efficacy level and stress coping style in nurses living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: descriptive research

The relationship between self-efficacy level and stress coping style in nurses living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: descriptive research