Producing within invisible barriers: Structural exclusion, global integration, and engineering practice in Northern Cyprus

This study investigates the structural conditions shaping engineering practice and production in Northern Cyprus within the broader context of global transformation. While technological advancement has enabled unprecedented levels of connectivity and integration worldwide, participation in these systems remains uneven. Drawing on theories of network society, power, and symbolic recognition, the article argues that the challenges faced by Turkish Cypriot engineers and firms are not rooted in a lack of technical capability but in systemic barriers that restrict access, visibility, and validation within global infrastructures. Conceptualized as "invisible barriers," these constraints operate not through direct prohibition but through limitations on recognition, institutional legitimacy, and infrastructural integration. The study demonstrates that such conditions lead to a form of detoured participation, where actors engage with global systems indirectly and under constrained circumstances. Furthermore, it examines how these structural limitations are internalized, shaping self-perception and reinforcing exclusion. By situating the case of Northern Cyprus within broader debates on globalization and structural inequality, the article highlights the need to rethink participation not only in terms of production capacity but also in relation to systemic access and recognition. Ultimately, the study contributes to the literature by offering a conceptual framework for understanding how global inequalities are reproduced through subtle yet persistent structural mechanisms.