Britain’s first Turkish-owned mosque made history this week becoming one of the first UK Islamic institutions to accept donations in Bitcoin – a digital or cryptocurrency operating independently from central banks. The East London-based Masjid Ramadan, also known as Shacklewell Lane Mosque, “has...
A community of ethnic Greek Muslims who were exiled from Greece to Syria in 1897 seek to return to their homeland in Crete. Yet despite presenting the deeds for properties seized by the Greek Orthodox Church 120 years ago, they once again find themselves victims of public resentment and institutiona...
The 23rd of April has a special importance to multiple communities around the world. Those in or whose roots hail from Turkey will be celebrating today because it is National Sovereignty & Children’s Day. During their struggle for independence, the Turks, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, convene...
Last week, a lesser known but important story broke on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It involved Turkish ambassador Münir Ertegün, who served in the United States of America between 1934 and 1944, a time when racial segregation was the norm for Americans. At the turn of the twentieth century, altho...
The world of Turks again experienced a mixture of highs and lows in 2017. From the tragic loss of loved ones in accidents or terror attacks, to political upsets and cultural firsts, here are the biggest T-VINE stories of the year. 1. In May, our deputy editor John Oakes broke the news about a n...
110 years ago, Winston Churchill raged to the Liberal Cabinet about Great Britain's “detestable oppression” towards Cyprus, claiming that the British Government’s treatment of the island “constituted a blemish upon Imperial policy of a peculiarly discreditable kind.” What did Churchill...
Originally from Yeşilırmak, in Lefke, northwest Cyprus, Cavit Mustafa Kannur was a model citizen and family man. Two years ago, this long-term resident of Güzelyurt was killed in a car accident by the Cengiz Topel Monument on the Güzelyurt-Lefke main road. A 19-year-old driver, Deniz Av...
Halla Barakat was many things to many people. Many of you might recognise her as a pretty face that has been appearing in your social media news feeds in recent days, but maybe you haven’t stopped to read what all the fuss is about. For those of you who have, you would know that Halla B...
A fortnight ago, Turkey remembered the first anniversary of the brutal 15 July failed coup attempt that left over 250 dead and more than 2,000 injured. Waving flags, Turkish citizens turned out in overwhelming numbers and were addressed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a rally on Istan...
“What is this protest about?” I asked a group of young men sitting on the sidelines of a mass rally on the southern side of Nicosia's Ledra Palace crossing. They took one look at me, all of them with the same unwelcoming frowns, before raising their hands to indicate that they would not...
