People-Features

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Thirty years on, North Cyprus remembers soldier Allahverdi Kılıç, killed on Green Line duty

Thirty years ago today, a 20-year-old soldier serving in the Turkish Cypriot Security Forces was shot dead while standing guard close to Cyprus’ Green Line.Private Allahverdi Kılıç was killed in the early hours of 8 September 1996 at a sentry post in Güvercinlik, near the British Sovereign Base Area...

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British Turkish Cypriot strongman Mehmet Musa eyes 400kg challenge after world record feat

Carrying 300kg for eight metres would be a formidable challenge for most people. British Turkish Cypriot strongman Mehmet Musa did it every day for 60 consecutive days – and says that by the end, it was beginning to feel like a “warm-up”.The Islington-born athlete made headlines earlier this year af...

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‘Topal Ali’: pioneering British Turkish supermarket businessman Ali Gül Güneş dies aged 85

Ali Gül Güneş, the pioneering British Turkish businessman affectionately known across London’s Turkish community as “Topal Ali”, has died aged 85.Güneş, who died on 14 August, was one of the best-known figures among the first generation of migrants from Turkiye to settle in Britain and played an imp...

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Remembering bestselling author Sibel Hodge on the third anniversary of her passing

Sibel Hodge acclaimed novelist, human rights advocate, and proud Turkish Cypriot, passed away on 21 August 2023, aged 52. Her loss was deeply felt by her family, friends, readers, and the many people whose lives she touched through her writing and charitable work.Born on 8 June 1971, Sibel was the d...

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Acun Ilıcalı: taking Hull City to the Premier League is my ‘number one’ business achievement

Hull City owner Acun Ilıcalı has described taking the Tigers into the Premier League as the greatest achievement of his business career, as his side prepares to start life back in the English top flight against Manchester United on Saturday.In a new BBC Radio Humberside interview released ahead of H...

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Obituary: Münir Tatar, respected accountant and leading figure in Britain’s Turkish Cypriot community, dies aged 71

Highly respected British Turkish Cypriot chartered accountant and community figure Münir Tatar, whose distinguished career spanned more than four decades, has died at the age of 71.Mr Tatar passed away on the morning of Monday, 17 August 2026, prompting an outpouring of grief from family, friends, c...

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Barking MP Nesil Caliskan’s maiden speech recounts family fleeing Cyprus violence for safety in Britain

The new Member of Parliament for the East London constituency of Barking has used her maiden speech in the House of Commons to highlight her family’s difficult passage, leaving their native Cyprus for a new life as immigrants in the United Kingdom.Nesil Caliskan, who made history at the General Elec...

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Hackney politician Mete Coban takes up new role as Sadiq Khan’s environmental chief

Mete Coban has quit his day job at My Life, My Say and role as a Hackney Councillor to take up a new position at City Hall as Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy.The northeast London politician announced his new role on X (formerly Twitter) last week, “I’m honoured to be appointed by S...

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Turkiye mourns the passing of one its greatest musicians, violin virtuoso Suna Kan

Tributes have been paid to one of Turkiye’s greatest musicians, violinist Suna Kan, who died at the weekend aged 86. The virtuoso enjoyed a celebrated solo, orchestral and teaching career in Turkiye and abroad.Kan was described as “The symbolic name of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's ‘music revolution’" by...

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Osman Türkay: An interview with the Millennium poet who gave a Cyprus village its name

“Life is the absoluteness of truth which exists in its own essence.”                                      &nbs...

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