Turkish Cypriot DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Cyprus · Southern Europe
Turkish Cypriots live mainly in the northern part of Cyprus. Their community took shape after the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, when settlers from Anatolia joined the existing island population. In our model, the Turkish Cypriot average is 48.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 14.8% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 14.5% Natufian, 14.2% Caucasus hunter-gatherer and 8.2% steppe. Next to the Central Anatolian average on our Turkish page, it has more early farmer and Levant-related ancestry, about half the steppe share, and no East Asian component above the model's 1% threshold. The neighbours are eastern Mediterranean too: Cypriots and Greek Cypriots are the closest modern averages, at almost the same distance (0.0187 and 0.0191), followed by Syrian Jews and Greeks from Rhodes. The closest ancient group is an Early to High Medieval population from Stratonikeia in southwestern Anatolia (distance 0.0202), followed by Byzantine-era Zeytinliada and Roman-era individuals with an East Med-Anatolian profile.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 48.3%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 14.8%, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 14.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Cypriot, distance 0.0187
- Closest ancient group in our data: Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile), distance 0.0202
This page sums up what the DNA of the Turkish Cypriot sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Cyprus, listed in the G25 sheet as "Turkish_Cyprus", and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Turkish Cypriot average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Turkish Cypriot average, 48.3%, goes to Anatolian Neolithic farmers, ahead of Iranian Neolithic farmers (14.8%) and Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) (14.5%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
The model fits well (fit distance 0.018), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander Report
Closest modern populations to Turkish Cypriot
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Cypriot first for Turkish Cypriot, at 0.019, then Greek (Cyprus) and Syrian Jew. Even the tenth closest, Sephardic Jew (Bulgaria), is only 0.029 away: Turkish Cypriot belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cypriot | 0.0187 | Very close |
| 2 | Greek (Cyprus) | 0.0191 | Very close |
| 3 | Syrian Jew | 0.0217 | Very close |
| 4 | Greek (Dodecanese Rhodes) | 0.0220 | Very close |
| 5 | Romaniote Jew | 0.0243 | Very close |
| 6 | Greek (Dodecanese) | 0.0254 | Close |
| 7 | Alawite (Turkey) | 0.0272 | Close |
| 8 | Druze (Israel) | 0.0277 | Close |
| 9 | Druze (other sample set) | 0.0278 | Close |
| 10 | Sephardic Jew (Bulgaria) | 0.0289 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Turkish Cypriot
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Turkish Cypriot, Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile) (Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD) comes first, at 0.020, with Turkey Anatolia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Zeytinliada (Byzantine, East Med-Anatolian Profile) next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0202 |
| 2 | Turkey Anatolia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Zeytinliada (Byzantine, East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0248 |
| 3 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Rome (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0250 |
| 4 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Isola Sacra (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0255 |
| 5 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0255 |
| 6 | Greece Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Corinthia Tenea | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0258 |
| 7 | Italy Lazio Late Antiquity Rome (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0272 |
| 8 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Mazzano Romano (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0272 |
| 9 | Turkey Anatolia High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile) | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0277 |
| 10 | Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Barcin (Byzantine, East Med-Anatolian Profile) | Byzantine era, c. 330-1450 AD | 0.0280 |
Ancient DNA from Cyprus
Our ancient DNA database holds 55 individuals excavated in present-day Cyprus, dated from about 7,650 BC to 750 BC. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are J2a (6), G2a (4) and J1a (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are K1 (6), H (5) and N1 (5). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Turkish Cypriot population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| J2a | 6 | CGG_2_022126 CGG_2_022928 CGG_2_022524 |
| G2a | 4 | CGG_2_022543 CGG_2_022548 CGG_2_022508 |
| J1a | 3 | CGG_2_015633 CGG_2_100076 CGG_2_022116 |
| H2 | 2 | I4207 I4209 |
| C1a | 1 | CGG_2_022551 |
| E1b | 1 | CGG_2_022497 |
| F | 1 | I4210 |
| H2a | 1 | I4208 |
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| K1 | 6 | I4208 CGG_2_022531 CGG_2_015634 |
| H | 5 | CGG_2_022924 CGG_2_022507 CGG_2_022528 |
| N1 | 5 | CGG_2_022490 CGG_2_022535 CGG_2_015632 |
| T2 | 5 | I4209 CGG_2_022496 CGG_2_022510 |
| J1 | 4 | CGG_2_022534 CGG_2_022126 CGG_2_100074 |
| HV1 | 3 | CGG_2_022497 CGG_2_022502 CGG_2_022117 |
| J2 | 3 | CGG_2_022122 CGG_2_022116 CGG_2_022483 |
| T1 | 3 | CGG_2_022524 CGG_2_022509 CGG_2_022527 |
Ancient DNA studies on Cyprus
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 55 from Cyprus.
Compare yourself with Turkish Cypriot
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Turkish Cypriot average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Turkish Cypriot and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Turkish Cypriot. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Turkish Cypriot average. Your own DNA has its own story: Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Mediterranean-island ancestry: ancient regional core (Minoan, Mycenaean, Nuragic Sardinian, Phoenician, Sicani, Daunian) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 9 communities (Sicilian, Sardinian, Maltese...
More populations from Southern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Turkish Cypriot?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Turkish Cypriot average is about 48.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 14.8% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 14.5% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Turkish Cypriot?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Turkish Cypriot average are Cypriot, Greek (Cyprus) and Syrian Jew. The closest ancient matches are Turkey Anatolia Early-High Medieval Stratonikeia (East Med-Anatolian Profile), Turkey Anatolia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Zeytinliada (Byzantine, East Med-Anatolian Profile) and Italy Lazio Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Rome (East Med-Anatolian Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Turkish Cypriot?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Turkish Cypriot average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Turkish Cypriot ancestry?
For the Turkish Cypriot average, the regional report to choose is Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.