On 31 August, during the hot summer of 1956, two British policemen were standing guard on a well-known EOKA terrorist, Polykarpos Yorgadjis, in Nicosia General Hospital. Suddenly armed men rushed down the corridor. The officers drew their pistols. Shots rang out. ‘The Battle of Nicosia Hospital’ had begun. Four of Yorgadjis’s EOKA gang members were […]
Turks are born with the ability to do one thing perfectly: cook kebabs. There’s nothing worse in life than expecting freshly-made şeftali kebabs and köfte, only to be handed sausages or burgers. It’s imperative we understand the difference between a kebab and a BBQ. It’s not just ditching the ketchup and mustard for humus and […]
One of Turkish cinema’s legendary figures, Yılmaz Güney was an award-winning film director, scenarist, novelist and actor. Of Kurdish origin, he made his mark championing Turkey’s most marginal citizens on and off the screen. During his career, he directed 25 films, wrote 61 scripts, and appeared in 116 movies. He became the first filmmaker from Turkey to win […]
The United Nations estimates that more than 2,000 people have died this year while making their journey from North Africa into Europe. The Mediterranean Sea became the route of hope for many migrants and refugees. It was also a deadly route for many whose boats capsized and sank; for those who couldn’t make it to […]
There was a time when Turkish weddings were THE social event of the calendar: a chance for Turks to come together and socialise and, for some, it was a chance to pick a future bride. Weddings have changed over time, but there are a few traditions we just don’t understand. How comes the bride and […]
With 200 rejections for her first novel, Sibel could have easily given up. She persevered and is now an award-winning, international best-selling author with 16 titles under her belt. 1.Tell us about your background? My mum is English and my dad Turkish Cypriot. Dad’s originally from Girne. He left in 1958 to study in Britain, […]
Cyprus is known in Greek mythology as the island of love and it is fair to say that Aphrodite had no qualms about individual sexual persuasion. She may have had a personal preference for men but the Olympic Gods, according to this link would have affairs with both men and women. Fast forward to 2014 […]
Dear Yonca abla, One of my closest girlfriends is keen to have a boob job. She has a gorgeous figure, is slim and beautiful, but feels her breasts are too small and is keen to get them enlarged. Ultimately it is up to her to do what she wants with her body, but I’m thinking […]
His life hit rock bottom: no job, failed relationship and bad physique. Yet Eastender Altuğ has bounced back to become the first Turkish Cypriot Pro Fitness Model in the world. Tell us a bit about you I’m 29-year-old Londoner, now living in Essex. My mother is from Cyprus and my father from Ankara. I did […]
With the recent run of Bayrams (there seems to be one every week), it made us think about an important tradition: ‘At what age do you stop kissing the hands of your elders when you greet them and when should you start extending yours?’ Like the rest of Britain, many Turks are getting married and […]
