Internal Legitimacy in a De Facto State: The Case of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

De facto states, which by definition lack international recognition, rely on internal legitimacy for their survival. Based on original survey data (N = 1663), this paper investigates internal legitimacy in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a de facto state, using a theoretical model which disaggregates internal legitimacy into three components – state, regime and institutions. Our regression analysis shows that the absence of collective identity and the population's perception regarding the meddling of the patron state, i.e. Turkey, in domestic affairs, are the two most important factors undermining legitimacy in the TRNC. On the other hand, our findings also show that the perception of living in a democratic country and relatively high life satisfaction among its citizens are the factors increasing internal legitimacy.