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 close family and […]
A new British comedy set in a pupil referral unit (‘PRU’) gets its first-ever airing on BBC iPlayer today. The show will make its terrestrial debut on BBC 1 on Friday night. The 18-minute premiere of PRU is essentially a pilot, but BBC bosses were so impressed with the show that it’s already been commissioned […]
My dad Ibrahim Sitki Musa was born in Lefkoşa, Cyprus, in 1934. He was the son of Musa and Emete, one of their four children – Emine, Muazzez, and Akif being the other siblings. During his childhood, he went to school and also worked part-time to make money for the family. His first love was […]
There are some people you meet that once you begin to speak you wish the conversation wouldn’t stop, regardless of the topic. As John Ford said, “You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart” and indeed Abdullah Nihat Yılmaz was one of those rare people who conducted his talks […]
Seven years ago, the UK launched Veganuary, an annual challenge for people to follow a vegan lifestyle during the month of January. Established as a charity, Veganuary helps to promote awareness of veganism and to educate people on a range of issues from nutrition to tasty vegan recipes, so they can easily adapt to a plant-based […]
The historic birthplace of a leading Turkish-Azeri intellectual recently returned to Azerbaijani hands following a truce with Armenia. The town of Shusha, the home of the educator, publicist, Pan-Turkist thinker and politician Ahmet Ağaoğlu, who played an important role in the foundation of both Azerbaijan and Turkey, was among a number of areas brought back […]
I am an MBA student in a lesser known part of the world called the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC). For those who have never visited, it is one of two states on the island of Cyprus, located in the Eastern Mediterranean. In the southern part of the island is the internationally recognised Republic […]
Without a doubt, 2020 has been a strange year. An unknown virus, millions dead or infected, international travel bans, and government-imposed lockdowns for our protection, which have separated us from our loved ones and put a stop to many of our favourite pastimes in a bid to minimise human contact. One happy constant throughout this […]
It’s not every day you discover a bit of family history you share with the British Prime Minister, but it happened to me late last summer. I was flicking through family photo albums with my father, Oktay Hamit, when I came across a large black and white one of him and seven other men. I […]
The Mid Summer Ball (MSB) is one of the most famous club nights in modern Turkish Cypriot history, helping to bring a slice of the London underground to North Cyprus since 2004. Every summer, this mega event, attended by thousands of people, flies in dozens of leading House and Garage DJs and MCs to perform […]
