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Food policy advisor Funda Ayhan explains what the new hellim / halloumi PDO means for Turkish Cypriot producers

A fortnight ago, the European Commission adopted a package of measures to protect an important part of Cypriot heritage – its cheese. Called ‘hellim’ in Turkish, and ‘halloumi’ in Greek, this renowned Cypriot cheese was registered as a protected designation of origin (PDO), essentially banning th...

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Rüstem Tatar, President Tatar’s father and a great servant of the Turkish Cypriot people, dies aged 90

Rüstem Tatar, the father of President Ersin Tatar, passed away in the early hours of Saturday, 24 April, aged 90. The news was announced by the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) Presidency. He was laid to rest the same day in the capital Lefkoşa in accordance with Islamic customs, with just...

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Covid-19 death toll in North Cyprus rises to 28

A 61-year-old man has died in hospital after contracting coronavirus, the Turkish Cypriot Health Ministry announced on Tuesday morning. He had been in intensive care since 6 April, and also had underlying health conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes. The death brings the total...

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UK Minister Wendy Morton to meet with President Tatar and Turkish Cypriot leaders this week

Wendy Morton, the British Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas, will be in Cyprus this week for two days of meetings with the presidents of North and South Cyprus, and Greek and Turkish Cypriot political leaders. Morton’s visit, which starts on Wednesday, 7 April, comes ahead...

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President Tatar, Vice-President Oktay attend gala for premiere of TV drama Bir Zamanlar Kıbrıs

Turkish Cypriots hosted a special gala event for the television debut of historical drama series Bir Zamanlar Kıbrıs/ Once Upon a Time in Cyprus, which stars leading Turkish actors Ahmet Kural, Pelin Karahan, Serkan Çayoğlu, and Tayanç Ayaydın. The cast and the Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay j...

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Turkish Cypriot hellim producers can sell to EU through island-wide PDO, but will still face discrimination

After years of disputes, Cypriot cheese – known in Turkish as hellim and in Greek as halloumi – has been granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Union. Member states “unanimously supported” the PDO proposals earlier today, which are applicable to “all parts of...

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1974 Cyprus mass grave victims: five members of the Akansoy family finally laid to rest

A Turkish Cypriot family has been laid to rest in North Cyprus, 47 years after they were brutally murdered by Greek Cypriot terror group EOKA-B and dumped in a mass grave in Muratağa/Maratha, eastern Cyprus. The five members of the Akansoy family were buried after prayers at the Muratağa-Sandalla...

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UK, Cyprus: 1 hour less in bed as clocks go forward on Sunday for Summer Time

This weekend, people in Britain, Cyprus and other parts of the world adhering to the Daylight Saving Time system will have  less time in bed, as the clocks go forward by an hour. The change officially happens in the early hours of Sunday, 28 March. At 1am local time, the clocks will automatically...

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‘Greek bias’ costs EU observer role at upcoming Cyprus Talks

Josep Borrell’s visit to the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus on Friday didn’t generate the results he was hoping for, after the Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar rebuffed his efforts for the European Union to attend as observers at the upcoming Cyprus summit. President Tatar issued a stateme...

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10 things you may not know about the embargoes on Turkish Cypriots 

Did you know that Turkish Cypriots have been deprived of their political, economic and social rights since 1964? Turkish Cypriots are the co-founders of the Republic of Cyprus, a small island in the Eastern Mediterranean. The island became independent from British rule in 1960 and a new power-sha...

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