Thousands of people flocked to this year’s Turkish Cypriot cultural festival on the Donkey Lane playing fields in Enfield, North London, and once again they left with smiles and happy memories.
Now a firm feature in the British Turkish social calendar following its first event back in 2017, the festival offered a lively and diverse mix of entertainment for all the family.
It was non-stop music and dancing on the main stage, ably compered by glamourous television presenter Duygu Tağmaç and former London Turkish Radio presenter Mustafa Güllü.
One of the main performers of the day was pop star Ali Sönmez, who sang Babutsa’s biggest hits. At one point he was joined on stage by his daughter Havva of X-Factor fame to sing a duet.
Brilliant young saz player Huseyin Erdinç’s fusion of traditional and contemporary sounds delighted the audience, while bands such as the Kelebekler and Grup Kıbrıs Dörtlüsü had the crowds dancing and singing along to their favourite Turkish and Cypriot songs. Renowned Baf/Paphos born singer-songwriter Arif Erdize added a touch of melancholy with his ballads.
Local Turkish schools and the London Turkish Association provided the dance troupes. Children as young as five and six took to the big stage in their traditional costumes to perform to folk songs clapped on by the large crowd, while the older, more experienced children wowed the audience with their more complex Turkish Cypriot dance moves.
The crowds kept coming throughout the day and even those who arrived early evening were treated to musical thrills from DJs, with legendary Cypriot rockers Grup SOS closing the festival.
For those in search of tasty cuisine, there was plenty of choice, from doner and şeftali kebabs to pide (Turkish pizza) and balık ekmek (Turkish street food: grilled / fried fish in a bun). There was traditional Turkish Cypriot desserts too, including freshly cooked lokma (sweet fried dough balls) and sulu muhallebi (rose jelly), as well as ice cream, and savoury treats, such as börek and pilavuna.
All across the vast playing fields were marquees and gazebos housing a diverse array of stalls, from arts and crafts selling a wide range of attractive goods, from handmade jewellery to t-shirts and Turkish Cypriot trinkets.
There were also dozens of community groups, Turkish schools and businesses promoting their services and causes. And we also had the (British) Turkish Police Association, whose members include many Turkish Cypriots. Flying in for the occasion were TPA members from the British Sovereign Bases in Cyprus!
L-R: former CTCA president Akmen Sitki with Limasollular Derneği UK head Arife Ritvan, Cllr Ersin Celebi in matching hats with her granddaughter (photo © Ersin Celebi), and it's all about love from Huseyin Hoca and Erkin ‘Egg’ Guney (photo © Erkin Guney).
For those in search of some adventure and thrills, there was a big fun fair on site and – for Turkish Cypriots especially – the chance to run into family and friends, with many travelling across London and much further afield to attend this colourful celebration of Turkish Cypriot culture.
Like last year’s festival, the sun was fierce, yet many were prepared, donning hats and applying plenty of sunscreen they had brought to the event. The event organisers, the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (CTCA) UK, also handed out free bottles of water to those most in need, from staff and volunteers to the elderly.
Among the political VIPs attending this year were senior members of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) government, including Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment, Fikri Ataoğlu, Deputy Speaker of the TRNC Republic Assembly, Fazilet Özdenefe.
Among the British politicians who attended the event were Barking MP Nesil Caliskan, Bromley Councillor Ahmet Dourmoush, Broxbourne Councillor Ersin Celebi, Enfield Councillor Ahmet Karahasan, who are all of Turkish Cypriot descent.
The TRNC’s London Representative, Ambassador Aysan Mullahasan; Türkiye’s Ambassador to the UK, Koray Ertaş; and Türkiye’s Consul General in London, Associate Professor Dr Hasan Ulusoy, TRNC Education Attache Deniz Özalp were also present.
CTCA UK, ably led by chair Kenan Nafi, and its army of volunteers should feel very proud of pulling off another fantastic event. The organisation and staffing of it felt better than ever and returning to a one-day format helped concentrate the crowd and was probably easier on the volunteers and stallholders. Roll on 2027 for more of the same!
Unless stated otherwise, all photos are courtesy of CTCA
