The UK’s two opposition parties are pressing for action over issues adversely affecting Britain’s black, Asian and ethnic minority communities during the coronavirus pandemic. The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to improve the diversity of journalists and media outlets invited to...
The relatively high number of British Turks to die from COVID-19 has been sending shockwaves across the Turkish world. With an estimated population of 500,000, the UK’s Turkish community is the fourth largest Turkish diaspora in Europe, behind Germany (4 million), France (1.2 million), and the Ne...
This weekend marks the start of the holiest month for Muslims worldwide. Ramadan, or Ramazan in Turkish, is the month when the Ku’ran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammed. For the next thirty days, all healthy Muslims will fast during daylight hours. This means not eating or drinking anythi...
A Royal Air Force A400 plane took off from Istanbul in the early hours of this morning carrying a large consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE) from a commercial supplier in Turkey. The plane arrived back at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire just after 3am local time, ensuring essential...
“One love. One heart. Let's get together and feel alright,” sing NHS staff, key workers and volunteers from London’s Turkish Cypriot community. Their digital rendition of a Bob Markey classic not only aims to uplift spirits, but to also raise awareness of multiple good causes that need funding th...
Ten days ago, I highlighted the plight of some 120 British nationals, many of Turkish Cypriot descent, stranded in North Cyprus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Lots of affected individuals, their British MPs, and community groups have all been lobbying the UK Foreign Office to demand their return.&...
Sonya Kaygan, a 25-year-old mother of one, has passed away from coronavirus, her family announced today. She becomes the youngest British Turkish victim to die of COVID-19, which has already claimed the lives of over one hundred others in the community. Friends and family have said the young w...
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...
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 t...
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 launche...
