Two weeks ago, Erkin Guney, the chairman of the UK Turkish Islamic Trust (UKTIT), recorded a desperate plea for help. Overwhelmed by the growing number of deaths in the British Turkish Cypriot community, the UKTIT faced multiple shortages, including mortuary space, which Hackney Council has helped the mosque to overcome. Less easy to fix has […]
A 5-minute video by Dowan Ahmet warning about the dangers of coronavirus and offering tips for “these uncertain times” has gone viral. Addressed to “the Class of 2020”, Ahmet’s clip has been watched by over ten thousand people. His tribute to “healthcare professionals and other frontline staff” who “risk their lives so you don’t have […]
Unfortunately, when it comes to losing people that we love, our emotions are usually uncontrollable for a long time afterwards. There is never a good time to lose the people we love most, but in this period of great uncertainty and fear, somehow the loss of a loved one seems more amplified because of the […]
An appeal to help a Turkish Cypriot family in London cover the cost of two funerals after losing their father and grandfather to COVID-10 has proved successful. The £2,000 target was reached on Monday afternoon, two days after T-VINE first publicised the fundraising effort, which had been launched by family friend Sheniz Suleyman on 4 […]
On Easter Sunday, the number of deaths from the coronavirus in Britain passed the 10,000 mark. The impact of this deadly disease has hit every corner of the country, and affected every community. Every day, hundreds of funerals are taking place for the deceased, which are being performed under severe restrictions. These include limiting the […]
Ambassador Oya Tuncalı, the London Representative of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, has addressed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on lives in a special message to Turkish Cypriots in Britain. The message, given in full below, acknowledges the “important changes to our lives”, and describes staying at home in self-isolation as an opportunity […]
A week after a family in London lost their granddad, tragedy struck again when their father also passed away. Both men died of coronavirus. An urgent appeal has been launched to raise £2,000 to help a family cover the costs of the second funeral. Husayn Hoca, the leading pastor for the British Turkish Cypriot community […]
Britain has received the first planeload of emergency equipment sent by Turkey to help in the fight against coronavirus. The items, despatched by Turkey’s Health Ministry in Ankara, include personal protective equipment such as surgical masks and hazmat suits. A second flight is scheduled for Saturday. The boxes bore the words of 13th century Sufi Mevlana […]
Over 120 British nationals, many of them of Turkish Cypriot descent, are currently stranded in North Cyprus, unable to get any flights back to the UK. All international flights on both sides of the Cyprus divide were grounded In March to contain the coronavirus pandemic. In the same month, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced […]
Desperate times call for desperate measures and if you are a man used to regular grooming at the salon, the prospect of at least a month without access to your barber due to self-isolation is daunting. Many have taken matters into their own hands, trying to cut their own hair, or asking relatives and partners […]
