A new documentary exploring the barriers faced by Turkish Cypriot sportspeople will be released in full on YouTube on Monday 9 November, following its premiere in London last night.
UNSEEN: The Athletes of Northern Cyprus brings together Olympians, champions and emerging talents to examine the human cost of sporting isolation — and the determination of those pursuing their ambitions despite it.
The hour-long film will be available on the Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus YouTube channel, giving audiences around the world the opportunity to hear directly from athletes whose achievements and struggles rarely receive international attention.
More than 100 guests attended the premiere at The Soho Hotel on Sunday 1 November. Among them were Türkiye’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Koray Ertaş, and TRNC Ambassador Aysan Mullahasan Atılgan, alongside journalists, influencers, councillors and members of Britain’s Turkish Cypriot community.
Directed by Afzal Choudhury of NoPlayBook, presented by Mert Ahmet and executive produced by Eren Ramadan, UNSEEN features 21 participants across nine sporting disciplines, from athletics and tennis to wheelchair basketball, open-water swimming and drifting.
Testimony from Turkish Cypriot athletes
Among those sharing their experiences are Olympic high jumper Buse Savaşkan, European Under-18 800m champion Ada Kafa, two-time EuroLeague basketball champion Erten Gazi, professional boxer Sugar Atahasan, amateur boxer Kutay Özkuş and open-water swimmer Doğukan Ulaç.
The film also features Dr Ayten Berkalp, a pioneering figure in Fenerbahçe women’s sport, alongside coaches, sports administrators and others working to create opportunities for Turkish Cypriot competitors.
Through their accounts, the documentary examines exclusion from competitions, visa refusals and obstacles to participation in international tournaments. It also highlights Turkish Cypriots who have found a route onto the world stage by representing Türkiye or other countries, often because competing for their own was not an option.
Speaking at the premiere, Ramadan explained how the project grew out of the team’s earlier documentary, OFFSIDE:
“UNSEEN came about because, after OFFSIDE, we kept hearing the same story, and not just from footballers, but from runners, swimmers, tennis players, boxers and drivers: talented young Turkish Cypriots who train as hard as anyone in the world, only to be told that it simply doesn’t count.”
He also pointed to the cancellation of a Barcelona football academy camp for children in North Cyprus, which he said followed pressure from the Greek Cypriot authorities.
“These athletes are not unseen because they lack talent. They are unseen because the world has chosen not to look,” he added.
Ahmet described the documentaries as his proudest work, highlighting their ability to reach audiences beyond the island.
“These documentaries are by far my proudest work, as each time, we’ve seen the impact not only in North Cyprus, but all over the world through the international audience,” he said.
Third documentary from the team
Made with the support of the Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus campaign, UNSEEN is the third documentary about the plight of Turkish Cypriots impacted by the Cyprus conflict and its fallout.
OFFSIDE focused on the challenges Turkish Cypriot footballers face due to the international isolation of North Cyprus, while DISPLACED heard first hand testimony from Turkish Cypriots who were forcibly displaced from their homes in Cyprus between 1955 and 1974.
According to the filmmakers, DISPLACED has attracted nearly 50,000 YouTube views and more than a million views across social media. OFFSIDE is available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
UNSEEN: The Athletes of Northern Cyprus will be released in full on Monday 9 November 2026 on the Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus YouTube channel.
