On Saturday, 21 September, Turkish Cypriot businessman Şükrü Ahmed passed away in London aged 83 following a heart attack. He had been receiving treatment for an infection at Whipps Cross Hospital in the month leading up to his death. His family said they are “heartbroken” by this “huge loss” of Mr Ahmed, who was a […]
In April, Talia Tosun, a talented young data wizard working at iTech in London, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. She has been off work ever since, undergoing gruelling chemotherapy. Sadly, at the end of August Talia was told that the chemotherapy had been ineffective and she now urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. A […]
Blessed with a heavenly voice, Olcay Bayır has been singing for as long as she can remember. She was born in Gaziantep to a Kurdish Alevi family steeped in the âşık (wandering minstrels) tradition, and her career as a classically-trained singer-songwriter is a perfect marriage of her roots and global music experiences following her move […]
In the age of the internet, many people are tempted to rely on template documents to do the job of experts [‘uzmanlar’]. It may be cheaper, but it doesn’t always pay to exclude the professionals, who can not only advise, but also devise bespoke documentation right for your specific circumstances. T-VINE turns to Yildiz Betez, […]
There’s a little slice of Cypriot cuisine being cooked up on Folkestone’s Harbour Arm, a part of the town that is rapidly becoming a destination and beacon for some exciting food and drink ventures. I moved to Folkestone three months ago, and was quickly followed by my friend and chef Hulya Erdal of Made By […]
In the age of the internet, many people are tempted to rely on template documents to do the job of experts [‘uzmanlar’]. It may be cheaper, but it doesn’t always pay to exclude the professionals, who can not only advise, but also devise bespoke documentation right for your specific circumstances. T-VINE turns to Zahra Kanani, a lawyer […]
Galip Ahmet is one of the first Turkish Cypriots to have come and settled in Britain in the early 1950s. Born in Cyprus on 18 April 1929, Galip Bey recently turned 90. I interviewed him earlier this summer about his experiences before and after his move, as part of my work on ‘Turkish heritage in […]
If you haven’t heard Dilara Fındıkoğlu’s name, where have you been? The London-based Turkish designer hit the headlines in September 2017 following her controversial Satan-themed catwalk show at St Andrew Holborn Church during London Fashion Week. Since then she’s enjoyed a meteoric rise, dressing global super stars for the red carpet and gala events. Described […]
One of Turkey’s most exceptional women passed away ten years ago today, 18 May 2009. Türkan Saylan was a doctor, educator and civil society activist, made famous first for her fight to eradicate leprosy and later for establishing Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği, ÇYDD (Association for the Support of Contemporary Living) to provide education for girls […]
It is very difficult to write an obituary if the person was very dear to you and held a special place in your life. You try to put the words together, but after a while the blank paper in front of you remains just the same as you had started, completely blank. This happened to […]
