T-VINE Issue 8

Issue 8, 2015
Free
The UK’s first & only English language publication for British Turks
Hellim wars
London Turkish Film
Festival hits 20!
How Ted & Mus conquered
Turkish barbering
Exploring the Gallipoli
Peninsula
Give your dining room
a spring makeover
Ata Demirer
On De m et A k bağ & t h eir n ew co me d y
featu re f i lm N i yaz i Gü l, Th e Ga llop in g Vet
20
20
thth
LONDON
LONDONTURKISH
TURKISH
FILM
FILMFESTIVAL
FESTIVAL
May2015
2015
77- -1717May
LA
NDS AC
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LONDON
D.A.L
MM XI
D.A.L
MY
DOCK
A
MM XI
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REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
NDS AC
MY
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
LA
DE
O2 Cineworld
RIO Cinema
Odeon Panton Street
O2 Cineworld
RIO Cinema
DOCK
www.ltff.co.uk
www.ltff.co.uk
Hello
Selam!
Spring is a time to feel alive and there is no shortage of activity across
the community. Our cover story celebrates the London Turkish Film
Festival, which turns 20 this year. Evrim Erosy previews the films and we
also carry an exclusive interview with Ata Demirer, whose new comedy
The Galloping Vet opens LTFF 2015.
We have an exclusive on how top British brand Ted Baker stepped into the world of
Turkish barbering, transforming it in the process.
There’s history in the making too! On 29 April, T-VINE hosted the first-ever General
Election hustings for British Turks. A few days earlier, 14-year-old Ecenur Bilgiç read out
the immortal words of Atatürk to bereaved pilgrims as part of the Gallipoli centenary
commemoration service in London, which was televised live to the world. Both stories
are n our UK News section.
Issue 8 is again packed with our regular features. We’ve also teamed up with Furniture
Road to offer readers a new Interiors section.
Finally, we hope you can join us on 6 June for a special charity screening in Dalston of
Snow in Paradise, which was partly filmed in the UK’s first Turkish mosque.
As ever, there’s too much to include in the magazine, so follow us on Twitter or
Facebook, or join our Blog mailing list to keep up-to-date with T-VINE.
Sevgiler,
Ipek Ozerim
Facebook.com/tvinemedia
tvinemedia.blogspot.co.uk
Tw: @1TVINE
Contents
Features
Cover story:
20th LTFF & Ata Demirer 6-7
How Ted & Mus conquered
Turkish barbering 20-21
Hellim Wars Ramazan special
T-VINE News…
UK Community Save Turkish exams,
historic UK hustings
TRNC
Akıncı wins TRNC
Presidency
Turkey
1915 remembered
Global
Bülent Kılıç ‘Best
Photographer of 2014’
Top 5s
Previews & Reviews
The T-VINE team
Editor: Ipek Ozerim
Deputy Editor: John Oakes
Consulting Editor: Aslı Alp Art Director: Chris Barrick
Contributing writers: Boulent Mustafa, Eray & Koray, Ertanch Hidayettin, Evrim
Ersoy, Feriha Ibrahim, Leyla Kazim, Muhsin Mustafa, Semra Eren Nijhar, and Yonca Ali
Photography: Leyla Guler
Cover picture: still from Niyazi Gül Dörtnala
Advertising: Prickly Pear
Operations: Yaşar Musa, Ruby James
32
33
5
8-15
17
Classics
18
Yvonne Cerkez & Canan Sagar
Hellim under threat Dining room spring
makeover
30-31
My World
with Canan Sagar
One Turk’s Italian
love affair
28-29
Culture
Film, food, theatre and music...
True story: UK
gangster turns Sufi
22-24
26-27
Regulars
Letters / We Remember
4
Propa Turkish
19
WWW.Turks
19
NEW! Interiors34-35
Get Away 36-37
to the Gallipoli Peninsula
Wellbeing 38
Feriha Ibrahim on losing weight safely
Printing : Fine Printers
Ask Yonca Abla
39
Naciye Nene’s Cookbook40
Publisher:
T-VINE MEDIA, Suite 120 Legacy Business Centre 2a Ruckholt Road London E10 5NP
T: 05602 093 459 | W: t-vine.com | E: [email protected] | [email protected]
Classifieds
T-VINE Directory
Spinach (ıspanak) & meatballs
41
42
3
Letters
Dear T-VINE
Re: Marching against racism (Mar. 2015)
A fabulous piece really capturing the essence of the day. It
was great to see so many people marching against racism.
As uplifting as that was, I am bitterly disappointed that our
community continues to ooze this “I’m alright Jack” mentality
and never get involved in anything. Next year we should look
to get between 50-100 people, with darbuka players leading a
group of Turkish-speaking people making a right racket!
Fevzi Hussein, via website
Re: Positive action vs. positive discrimination (Feb. 2015)
An excellent article. I welcome the all-BAME all-women
Shortlist and commend the Labour NEC for this. Kate Osamor
is my long-time friend and fellow activist. If I was to suddenly
switch allegiances [and support a Turkish candidate, as some
community activists assume I should] simply based on the
fact that I share an ethnicity with one of the other candidates,
I think many would question my principles and loyalties. Let
me also be clear that I wish the best of luck to Ayfer and Kate
Analou. All three are great women and at the end Edmonton
will have a female BAME MP. Let’s hope a precedent will be set.
Cllr Peray Ahmet, via Facebook
• Criminal Law • Civil Litigation
• Wills & Probate
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Our multi-disciplinary practice of solicitors and
barristers are renowned for their legal excellence.
Our clients are assured that we will protect their
interests with the very highest level of representation.
Re: Remembering Osman Türkay on his 88th birthday
(Feb. 2015) What a sorry state of affairs when the heads of
our communities don’t seem to care and our local Turkish
newspapers are full local information about where you can find
the best Adana Kebab, instead of commemorating key figures
like Osman Türkay, so it’s of no great surprise our youngsters
know nothing about him or that he was nominated for the
Nobel Peace Prize for Literature.
Eddie Huseyin, via Facebook
We Remember
Tel: 0207 275 7788
Email: [email protected]
www.guneyclarkryan.com
GCR, 58 Green Lanes, London N16 9NH
We welcome all comments, including setting the record
straight where we’ve made errors. Send your letter,
including your full name, address, & daytime telephone
number by post or email us at [email protected] or leave
a comment on our two Facebook pages
Alternatively, tweet us @1tvine.
Battle of Gallipoli
25 April 1915
Also known as Çanakkale
Savaşı, this World War I
campaign started as an
Allied naval assault in March
to capture the Dardanelles,
a key sea route for their
opponents the weakened
Ottomans, and open a second
Front. On 25 April, the Allies
landed 500,000 troops on the
Gallipoli Peninsula intending
to pounce on Istanbul, but
their plans were thwarted.
The Ottoman Empire’s diverse communities – Turks, Arabs, Kurds, Greeks, Jews,
and others – united under Atatürk in a determined bid to repel the invading Allied
forces, which included Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Ireland.
The bitter 9-month battle ended in January 1916 with a famous victory for the
Ottomans, exacting a heavy toll on both sides with some half-a-million casualties.
Every 25th April – “Anzac Day” – Australia, New Zealand and Turkey join to
commemorate their fallen soldiers. In the immortal words of Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk, “There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us…You
the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your
sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this
land they have become our sons as well.”
4
Adile Naşit
Born 17 June 1930
Born into a family of
entertainers in Istanbul,
the late Adile Naşit
remains one of Turkey’s
best known and most
loved actors. She entered the profession
through the stage in 1944 when she
joined the Istanbul City Children’s Theatre
Group. In 1947, she made her film debut
in Yara, going on to appear in 75 films, and
numerous plays and TV shows.
During her career, she performed
alongside the biggest stars of the
day. She was often cast as the caring
mother who made us laugh with her
funny face and belly-shaking moves.
Among her most memorable moments
were films with Kemal Sunal and Münir
Özkul, such as in the comedy classic
series Hababam Sınıfı. In 1966, she lost
her only son aged just 16 due to a heart
condition, yet she received the love of
millions of other children who grew up
watching her as “Masalcı Teyze” on TRT.
She passed away in 1987.
Top 5s
Turkish Albums
Turkish Books
Movies
1. Ervah-ı Ezel
Halil Sezai
1. Memed, My Hawk
Yaşar Kemal
1. Fırıldak Ailesi
2. Eski Bir Rüya Uğruna
Teoman
2. Bana İkimizi Anlat
Ahmet Batman
2. Niyazi Gül Dört Nala
3. Sen Orda Yoksun
Göksel
3. Kafamda Bir Tuhaflık
Orhan Pamuk
3. The Water Diviner
4. Enbe Orkestrası
Behzat Gerçeker & Enbe Orkestrası
4. Big Boss
Mustafa Hoş
4. Limonata
5. Araftayım
Ebru Gündeş
5. Rauf Denktaş: A Private Portrait
Yvonne Çerkez
5. Kocan Kadar Konuş
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The Galloping Vet
The on-screen pairing of Ata Demirer and Demet Akbağ spells
box office gold in Turkey. The duo first worked together in
the 2004 hit Vizontele Tuuba. Since then, 42-year-old Demirer,
a stand-up comedian-turned-scriptwriter and actor, and
actress 55-year-old Akbağ have gone on to appear in some of
the country’s biggest-grossing movies of all time, including
comedy hit series Eyyvah, Eyyvah.
Eyyvah Eyyvah 2 was Turkey’s biggest film in 2011, while its
predecessor and successor also scored top three box office
listings. To date, the series has generated receipts in excess
of $45 million for the film’s stars, its director Hakan Algül and
their studio backer BKM.
That winning combination is back for new comedy Niyazi Gül
Dört Nala (Niyazi Gül, The Galloping Vet), which is LTFF 2015’s
opening film and it goes on general release in Britain on 15
May. We caught up with the two lead stars on the red carpet at
the film’s world premiere in Istanbul.
Tell us about your new movie Niyazi Gül Dört Nala
Ata Demirer (AD): It’s based on a TV character I created. In the
full-length feature film, we see a chapter in the life of Niyazi
Gül [played by Demirer], a veterinary surgeon who lives in
Izmir and teaches university students, while researching
into a formula, a new medicine for animals. It’s during this
research that he gets caught up in all sorts of dramas.
Demet Akbağ (DA): my character Sultan Şahmerdan is a
wealthy landowner with a farm and horses. She’s been
around. She crosses swords with an old flame, Rıza Kabakoz,
following a horse-racing bet, resulting in her meeting with
Niyazi Gül and the plot thickens from there.
Have you had experience with animals or vets?
AD: Yes, with animals. And, as an animal lover, I’ve also been
around vets all my life, so I’ve been able to observe their work.
Working with animals wasn’t easy, we’re sure:
any memorable moments?
AD: Working with humans isn’t that easy either! If you know
how to handle animals, they are not at all difficult to work
with.
DA: Obviously animals play a big part in the movie. One of
the most challenging scenes is when the geese chase after us.
That was hard work. It helped doing the filming on a beautiful
sunny day in Izmir.
This is the sixth time you’ve worked together.
How does it feel and what do you most admire
about each other?
AD: I feel a very high level of happiness working with Demet
abla. The thing I love the most about her is she will do anything
for comedy. She is fearless.
DA: [Ata] has a very entertaining, very funny personality. We
have a lot of fun off-camera, which no doubt you will see when
the DVD is released. I love Ata as a person, friend, brother and
a colleague. It’s always a pleasure working with him and our
friendship has really grown since the first Eyyvah, Eyyvah. It’s
a big sister-brother relationship – he was raised as a good
young man! And as long as we enjoy it, I’m sure we’ll work
together on many more projects.
Who’s influenced you the most, who do you
admire outside Turkey?
AD: I love watching Ben Stiller. Also Woody Allen, Al Pacino,
Marlon Brando.
Action-hero films are all the rage in 2015. Would
you ever play an action-hero?
AD: No. I’m a comedian.
How do you view the Turkish film industry?
DA: There’s lots of comedy, which brings big box office success.
It upsets me that serious dramas with good storylines struggle
[to be a commercial success] in Turkey. I’d like to see more
of these types of films made. But overall, I’m really pleased
about the growing interest in Turkish cinema.
Many older actresses in the UK and USA complain
about the lack of quality roles. Is it also true for
Turkey?
DA: Yes. We share the same complaints as Hollywood women.
It’s up to us women to write more and better roles for women.
Things aren’t going to change until more of us pick up paper
and pen. It’s not surprising the sector is dominated by men
though: there are many more male scriptwriters and actors
than women, so it’s natural they will write roles and create
characters based on what they are most familiar with.
What do you love best about London?
DA: Hyde Park
AD: London’s famous for its pubs. Irish pubs, London pub.
Pub, pub!
20 London Turkish Film Festival
th
The London Turkish Film
Festival (LTFF) hits 20 this
year, making it the second
oldest foreign film festival in
Britain. No mean feat for an
event started as a labour of
love by Vedide Kaymak and
friends at the Rio Cinema
to give Turkish immigrants a
taste of home.
Today, as then, audiences have a chance
to experience the best of Turkish cinema,
although the choice of venues has
broadened. This year the festival will
take place in three cinemas: Rio Dalston,
the Odeon Panton Street, and, for the
second year running, the O2 Cineworld
in Greenwich for the Opening Gala.
The LTFF 2015 programme is again full
of feature films, documentaries and
short films from Turkey, along with its
annual awards to the best new film and
to a legend of the Turkish silver screen.
This year’s opening title is the UK
premiere of popular comedian Ata
Demirer’s new film Niyazi Gül Dörtnala
(The Galloping Vet) based on his popular
TV character Niyazi Gül, a veterinary
surgeon and lecturer who is thrust into
an unexpected adventure. The film
also stars award-winning actress and
comedienne Demet Akbağ with whom
Demirer previously shared the lead in
the ever-delightful box-office hit series
Eyvah, Eyvah.
Elsewhere, the Festival showcases the
handiwork of fantastic writer/director
Sen Aydınlatırsın Geceyi’ - when ordinary people get superpowers
Onur Ünlü whose work unfairly remains
unknown outside Turkey. From his take
on Japan’s Takeshi Kitano in magical
realism tribute Polis (2009), to the
philosophical rumination on death and
life of Five Cities, Ünlü’s cinema presents
an in-depth discourse on human nature
alongside popular accessibility.
All the films listed for LTFF 2015 are
unmissable, though special mention has
to be made of Sen Aydınlatırsın Geceyi
(Thou Gild’st the Even) – a wickedly funny
take on the superhero myth, representing
a first in Turkish cinema.
The best of the 2014-2015 Turkish season
is well represented within the programme
with titles such as Sesime Gel (Come to
My Voice) arriving with plaudits from the
Berlin and Mar Del Plata Film Festivals,
along with Annemin Şarkısı (Song of My
Mother) and (Until I Lose My Breath).
Other notable feature films include
Gözümün Nûru (Eye Am) – an interesting
narrative experience which playfully
mixes meta plot points with great story,
Fakat Müzeyyen Bu Derin Bir Tutku
– featuring standout performances
from Erdal Beşikçioğlu and Sezin
Akbaşoğulları, and Balık (Fish) – Derviş
Zaim’s new effort featuring the director’s
trademark simultaneously complex and
sensitive touch.
The festival is also playing host to three
great documentaries this year: Küçük
Kara Balıklar (Little Black Fishes), Artık
Hayallerim Var (Through My Lens) and
Yollara Düştük (We Hit the Road) each
one bringing greater focus on stories
within Turkey which would otherwise
have remained inaccessible to a British
audience.
All in all there’s something to please
everyone this year with the Festival once
again representing the best chance to
catch up with the hottest titles. LTFF
2015 runs from 7th-17th May. Tickets and
information are available from ltff.co.uk
EUROPEAN
SUNDAY 14 JUNE
DOORS OPEN: 19.30 PHONE: 07405 872 555
O2 Academy ISLINGTON
T-VINE readers special offer:
£22.50 incl. bf*
*limited number
N1 Centre, 16 Parkfield Street, London N1 0PS
2015
Previews
Seksendört are ready to rock London
On location in Girne filming video for Faili Meçhul
London forms the last leg of
this quartet’s European Tour.
The rock outfit were last in
the capital in 2009.
Since then, Seksendört have released
their third album, Akıyor Zaman,
dueted with label stable-mate Hande
Yener on Rüya (2012) and separately
in the same year with the legendary
Orhan Gencebay on Dokumnma.
They’ve also penned hit single Faili
Meçhul (2014) whose video was filmed
in Girne by award-winning British
Turkish Cypriot director Serdar Ferit.
Under the direction of top producer
İskender Paydaş, the track is a nod to
the 70s, an uplifting Turkish rock-folk
tinged ditty about a romance doomed
to failure.
Formed in 1999, the band comprises four
friends from Ankara: Tuna Velibaşoğlu
(lead singer, guitar), Arif Erdem Ocak
(guitar), Okan Özen (bass guitar) and
While steeped in rock their past concerts
have also included unexpected songs,
from covers of their favourite Turkish
singers to Turkish Classical Music.
As they take to the stage without a
support act, expect more surprises
from Seksendört during an extended
set at the O2 Academy in Islington on
Sunday 14 June
Hande Yener at the
HMV Forum
Djanan Turan releases
new EP Maze
After a three-year hiatus, Turkey’s
Queen of Pop jets in for a concert
in the capital on Friday 15 May.
Dubbed Turkey’s Madonna, the
singer-songwriter is regarded as
a pioneer as much for her everchanging image as for her genrebusting music.
Singer-songwriter Djanan Turan has
released her eagerly-awaited new EP
Maze. The four-track EP was completed
after she raised over £4,000 from fans on
Kickstarter in December. She has since
been working with Raz Olsher, producer
of Sam and The Womp’s UK number
one hit BOM BOM, at Fossil Studios
in London. She penned three of the
tracks (Maze, Drive and Brother), with
the final track, Feels Right, co-written
with acclaimed underground electronic
music band The Egg.
She exploded on to the scene with
a dance-infused debut release
Senden İbaret in 1999, scoring a
big hit with the first single Yalanın
Batsın (Damn Your Lies). The
former backing singer to Sezen
Aksu has gone on to release ten more studio albums: Yener’s music is ever-present in
Turkish clubs and she remains an icon for the country’s gay scene.
Her latest album Mükemmel (Wonderful) is a throwback to her Turkish-pop-meetselectronica roots. The album went straight to number 1 in the Turkish digital charts
on the day of its release in June 2014. The double-CD contains 15 original tracks
and a number of remixes, including hit singles Naber and Karar Ver. So pack your
dancing shoes and head to Kentish Town for what is sure to be the most upbeat
Turkish concert of the year. For tickets & info: theforumlondon.com
8
Serter Karadeniz (drums). They cite their
influences as Moğollar, Athena, Erkin
Koray, Duman, Mor ve Ötesi, and maNga.
A fusion of folk and psychedelic
influences, Maze is a colourful musical
journey where Turan weaves intriguing
stories in her own quirky style. The Waltz,
Turkish wailings, 70’s synth psychedelia,
classical strings, and romantic piano
sounds all accompany her unique
seductive vocals with harmonious
perfection. It’s available now on Amazon,
Bandcamp other good online stores.
Previews
Film
The Water Diviner
Russell Crowe makes his directorial
debut and plays the lead role in this
big-hearted movie about an Australian
father who goes in search of his three
sons missing in action after they joined
the Allied Forces on a mission to capture
the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915.
Beautifully shot by award-winning
cinematographer Andrew Lesnie in
stunning locations both in Australia
and in Turkey, including the iconic Blue
Mosque, the film stars Olga Kurylenko,
Cem Yılmaz and Yılmaz Erdoğan.
The story is inspired by the historic
events surrounding the catastrophic
World War I Gallipoli Campaign, which
claimed the lives of tens of thousands.
With the war over and no news about
brothers Arthur, Edward and Henry
Connor, father Joshua (Crowe), a farmer
and water diviner, travels to Turkey to
discover their fate.
reading hotel owner Ayşe (Kurylenko)
and Major Hasan (Erdoğan), a war hero
who becomes an unlikely ally, Joshua
heads across the tragic, war-torn
landscape struggling to find his own
peace while desperately holding onto
hope.
On arrival in Constantinople his progress
is blocked by military bureaucracy.
Aided by a beautiful Turkish coffee-cup-
Writers Andrew Knight and Andrew
Anastasios crafted the script around
a single line found in a letter by
Lieutenant Colonel Cyril Hughes, who
oversaw the Imperial War Graves unit at
Gallipoli “One old chap managed to get
here from Australia, looking for his son’s
grave.” From this came the incredible
story which not only tackles the ANZAC
legend, but also the traumatic impact of
the war on both sides.
Art
Comedy
Yeşim Akdeniz’s The Secret Life
of My Coffee Table
Pi Artworks, London, 22 May – 27 June
There’s more than a whiff of surrealism
about Akdeniz’s visually distorted
paintings. Her esoteric ensemble of
elements neither seeks to portray
realism, nor present a linear narrative,
but rather a theatrical mise-en-scène.
The subjects are sewn together to
create a montage of references to
contemporary culture, their cryptic
visual language ripe for unpicking by
an
attentive audience. Her London
exhibition will include works titled
Ready-Made Planet (pictured) and He
Called My Name and My Heart Stood Still.
www.piartworks.com
Şaban ‘Shabba’ Kazim
Erdoğan, who won Australia’s equivalent
of the Oscars as Best Supporting Actor,
thought it was a joke when first told
Crowe wanted to call him about a film.
The Turkish actor was then given a
free hand to develop his army major’s
character. Of Crowe’s directing abilities,
Erdoğan said, “He is a perfect chef!”
The film’s other major Turkish role is
Cemal (Yılmaz), described as ‘a beaten
lion’. Yılmaz claims the film served no
sides, but humanity. “There is no bad guy
in this movie, there are victims. Connor
has principles, but the Turkish Ottomans
have principles and objectives”.
A moral fable about forgiveness, it is the
perfect tribute for the Gallipoli centenary.
Festival
SunSplash
The Royal George, Soho, 19 May
Bodrum, Turkey, 21-28 June 2015
Şaban will be flying the flag for Turks
during this Eurovision comedy special
at Funny Cunths – a free weekly standup night. Since the 31-year-old took
the Comedy Store King Gong award in
December, he’s had a host of bookings,
his hilarious deadpan stories about
his Turkish roots proving a big hit with
audiences. We may no longer be the
butt of Eurovision jokes after winning
in 2003 with Sertab Erener, but national
pride is still at stake with comedians
representing countries, music and silly
voting. Go support!
www.cunth.co.uk
Norman Jay describes it as the “best little
festival in the world” as 500 discerning mu
sic lovers gather annually to hear dance
music legends and underground heroes.
This year’s line-up includes the UK’s Gilles
Peterson, Chicago’s Sadar Bahar, Romare,
Earl Gateshead, Lefto, Kyodai (pictured),
Shuya Okino, Phil Asher and Stuart
Patterson. The setting is the beautiful palm
tree-fringed Aspat Bay on the Aegean:
chilled beats by day, beach parties at
night, with Byzantine bath-house, yoga,
and graffiti workshops are all part of this
intimate boutique festival experience.
www.sunsplash-festival.com
9
Snow in Paradise
inspired by a true story about a British gangster turned Sufi Muslim
By İpek Özerim
It’s not every day a film crew comes
knocking on your door to ask for permission
to film in your premises. It’s even less likely
to happen if you are a mosque and the story
is about gangland Britain
Yet that’s what happened to Gönul Guney, chair of the UK
Turkish Islamic Trust, who was contacted by actor Martin
Askew. He was starring in a new movie inspired by his own
life that was being filmed in East London. Central to the story
was a mosque. Cue Shacklewell Lane – the UK’s first Turkishowned mosque.
as the subject matter. You would think a real-life inspired story
set in multi-cultural London that juxtaposes Islam against
gangsterland would see a rush of support from the British film
industry. Not so.
Andrew said he struggled to get backing for the project.
Although this was his first feature film, he is an award-winning
editor whose career includes a crop of well-received indie
movies, such as Control, The American, Acid House, Gangster
No1, along with acclaimed TV dramas Appropriate Adult and
White Teeth. But his track record was no match for British
prejudice towards a film that portrayed Islam positively.
Gönul alerted T-VINE to the project in 2013: “When I first got
the call from Martin, I thought it was a practical joke until
he told me about his life and the storyline. Naturally, I was
concerned about the potential negative comeback from the
subject matter, but after speaking to [director] Andrew [Hulme],
I was satisfied that the film would show Islam in a positive and
good light”.
While her board of Trustees and the congregation shared
Gönul’s concerns, financial needs ultimately determined their
decision. The mosque required urgent repairs and the film
producers offered them a good deal. They hired the mosque’s
school, located next door to the main worship hall, as their
production base for six weeks. Filming also took place inside
the mosque over four days, when it was closed to worshippers.
We spoke to Andrew Hulme at the end of 2014: the film had
premiered in Cannes last May to critical acclaim and was set
for UK release in February of this year. Andrew set the scene:
“When I met writer Martin Askew I found someone with a story
so incredible I was compelled to try and tell it in cinematic form.
Here was someone born into East End crime, whose uncle was
‘The Guvnor’ Lennie MacLean, yet had converted to Islam. Here
was someone with a dark past who had managed to control
his anger and aggression through religion, someone who had
understood he needed to correct himself if he were to escape
and survive.”
“Snow in Paradise is only loosely based on Martin’s experiences.
Real names have been changed, real events dramatised
because ultimately this is a drama and not a documentary.
It’s a journey through violence and guilt towards religion and
possible redemption.”
Delving deeper, it’s clear the making of the film is as intriguing
10
Frederick Schmidt as Dave
As Andrew tellingly states, “If Dave [the central character] went
off for jihad at the end of it, I think it would make people happy
and confirm their preconceptions.”
He was forced instead to look abroad for support, finally
finding the necessary finance from investors in France,
Germany and Holland. With money in place, Andrew then set
about finding the right actor to play his lead, ideally a fresh
face. His casting team randomly stumbled across their man
in East London.
“We found Frederick Schmidt on a Hoxton street corner in a
bad mood smoking a cigarette. He was our perfect Dave, not a
privileged young kid from West London but someone who had
experienced life and had a well of emotions to draw from.”
“If Dave went off for jihad
at the end, it would make
people happy and confirm
their preconceptions”
The life of Muslim convert Martin Askew, here playing Uncle Jimmy, inspired Snow in Paradise.
A new star was born! Frederick plays Dave brilliantly as a happygo-lucky Eastend geezer who makes a bad decision early on in
the film, resulting in his best friend Tariq disappearing. Fearing
the worst, Dave is engulfed by a deep guilt, whilst also having
to deal with his world of rapidly escalating criminality. In his
desperate search for Tariq, Dave stumbles into the mosque his
Muslim friend was known to frequent…
Frederick received extensive guidance in the role from Martin
Askew, who turned from being a co-writer to starring in the
film as well, as bad Uncle Jimmy.
How a British gangster found salvation in Islam
Although Snow in Paradise isn’t an accurate representation
of his life, we are curious about how Martin Askew ended up
converting to Islam. A practising Sufi Muslim, his path to Islam
was shaped by the mosque off Barking Road.
“I took the Shahada in 2001. I had always been looking for
another way of living. I was an avid reader of literature and
books, philosophies and all religions fascinated me. I read
books on Zen, and then tried to be Christian for a while, but
when I read the Quran I realised it was very much like the Bible
and that it was also my book too. It made so much sense to me
and answered a lot of questions about life for me, but the major
revelation came when I started reading about the Prophet
Muhammad PBUH.”
“I have always been interested in the philosophical Superman
theory. When I read how the prophet lived his life and how
he came up against so many problems with such dignity and
unshakable faith, he was my Superman and I knew then Islam
was for me.”
“In the beginning it was very tough to commit fully [to Islam]
because I was living a very shallow and self-centred lifestyle,
full of instant gratification, ego and self-abuse, so it was quite
a struggle to turn things around and practise regular prayer
and not eat during Ramadan; but I loved every day. After about
six months in, it all became very normal to me and then I found
some real clarity of thinking. My body started to feel great
physically too.”
Reflecting on his life-changing decision Martin says: “I would
have liked to have embraced Islam younger than I was. I feel
I have become a better son, father and friend to those around
me. Life’s journey for me is a wondrous surprise every day. It’s
so sacred it must always be enjoyed no matter what struggles
you face.”
Any final pearls of wisdom? Martin responds by reciting the
words of the prophet: “Happy are those who find fault with
themselves instead of finding fault with others”.
T-VINE is hosting a special screening of the film and a Q&A
with Andrew Hulme and Martin Askew at the Rio Cinema on
Saturday 6 June. See page 13 for more details.
Snow in Paradise
film review by Evrim Ersoy
Based on a true story, this account of a criminal
discovering his spiritual calling through a conversion to
Islam turns out to be an intriguing, albeit flawed attempt.
Dave (played by newcomer Frederick Schmidt) is a petty
criminal in London’s East End. Increasingly isolated in
a city which is evolving beyond recognition at headspinning rate, he finds himself in emotional and mental
turmoil when his actions cause the death of his best
friend. Pursued by his criminal uncle, the only solace to
Dave is offered within the local Islamic community where
the possibility of a future much different than he ever
imagined becomes apparent.
Dotted with gangster clichés throughout, the debut
feature of editor Andrew Hulme manages to score points
by exploring avenues usually not seen in British gangster
films. Taking tropes as his starting point, Hulme tries to
delve deeper into Dave and his salvation through a way of
life that is completely alien to the character’s own.
Hulme sets the material against the changing cityscape –
the criminals are as lost in London as their victims, as the
streets are slowly gentrified with new types of dwellers
taking over the areas they used to own.
Frederick Schmidt plays Dave as a man at a crossroads
and it’s the moment of desperation and anguish which
separates his character from the usual clichés we’re
used to seeing on screen. Like last year’s Starred Up, the
writer-director seems to be interested in playing with
archetypes, turning them on their heads and it’s these
moments which shine bright throughout the film.
Although not all the beats of the film resonate as they
should, somewhere within Snow in Paradise is an
admirable attempt at marrying social commentary
with the criminal plot without resorting to cheap moral
judgments. The end result may be flawed but it’s also
intriguing, engaging and worth exploring for sure.
11
Reviews
Book
Rauf Denktaş: A Private
Portrait by Yvonne Çerkez
By John Oakes
“Cometh the hour, cometh the man” …
Rauf Denktaş through his own eyes.
In their hour of need, Great Britain had
Churchill, and the TRNC had Rauf Denktaş
(RD), its Founding President – a comparison
which diminishes neither man.
So a new biography, which had RD’s full
support and co-operation, is an important
addition to the annals of Turkish Cyprus.
I had the privilege of meeting RD several
times over three decades, and can
confirm that this pen-portrait does full
justice to his urbanity, good humour, and
immense intellectual grasp.
He needed all these to deal with the
niceties of domestic politics while
grasping firmly what had to be achieved
on the world stage. Simply, there was
no-one else on the island capable of
combining such intellectual qualities.
But what the book also brings out are
the personal tragedies that he had to
deal with, both as a child and throughout
his life, in what was at times clearly a
very lonely and threatened existence.
Even his detractors acknowledge that he
had extraordinary personal strength of
character and ability to survive.
Of course there are omissions, and points
glossed over: but that’s family life for
you, and this is how RRD wanted to be
remembered. How the book will be rated
by historians and analysts will take years
to establish.
But what is certain is that, with such a
wealth of personal detail and anecdote,
love him or hate him, this is a book you
need to buy if you have the slightest
interest in one of those rare individuals
who clearly shaped history.
www.raufdenktasaprivateportrait.com
12
Museum
The Centre of Visual Arts and
Research, South Cyprus
By Muhsin Mustafa
During my last holiday in Cyprus, I had the
opportunity to visit the Centre of Visual
Arts & Research (CVAR) – a wonderful
new museum in South Nicosia.
Located at 385 Ermou Street, within
the historic walls of Old Nicosia, it is a
10-minute walk from the Turkish side
via Lokmacı border gate.
The headquarters of the Costas and
Rita Severis Foundation, this non-profit
organisation provides a permanent
platform for Cyprus’ multi-cultural heritage.
It comprises of a 4-storey exhibition area,
research centre, conference hall, café, with
roof terrace and gift shop.
The building was originally an Ottoman
Han that was converted into a flour mill in
1953, then restored and re-opened in 2014.
CVAR has a mixture of displays to
represent the history, life and colourful
culture of Cyprus: the Ottomans, British
and Cypriots are all represented and the
exhibit information panels are written in
Turkish, English and Greek.
As you move up a sloping walkway, you
rediscover Cypriot costumes, art and craft
from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
There are a plethora of posters, objects
and costumes from Cyprus’ past, along
with more than 1,000 paintings on display.
Explore the historic sets including a British
Officer’s study, the Whirling Dervishes of
Cyprus and peer into an old Cypriot home.
There is access to archives with
photographs and documents on Cyprus.
CVAR also houses a library with over 5,000
books available, and hosts a wide range of
activities to promote peaceful co-existence.
From CVAR’s unique location, visitors
can also admire the tiled roofs, palm
trees, and countless churches, mosques
and monuments of old Nicosia.
Theatre
Shrapnel: 34 Fragments of a
Massacre, Arcola Theatre, Dalston
By İpek Özerim
On 28 December 2011, Turkish jets
bombed a human convoy close to the
Turkish-Iraqi border, killing 34 unarmed
civilians – mostly teenagers – of Kurdish
origin from Uludere/Roboski village.
The army claimed they were PKK
militants, but in reality they were simply
smuggling cheap diesel from Iraq.
Writer Anders Lustgarten puts this
tragic episode into sharp focus with his
powerful new play. The drama unfolds
around the villagers who embark on
this journey, their personal stories
interspersed with the wider aspects of
the massacre: the arms trade, the role
of the media and Turkish Armed Forces,
the ideologies that underpin the Turkish
Republic, and attitudes towards Kurds.
The play opens with video footage
of children reciting their oath to the
Turkish republic – “Türküm, doğruyum,
çalışkanım…” During the following 75
minutes, we hear snippets about the
lives of those killed, and witness the
dual faces of the media: a reporter trying
to tell the truth and an award-winning
commentator’s strident speech that
redefines the victim and the aggressor.
Another memorable scene involves an
executive for an arms manufacturer
giving a slick presentation about their
“impeccably” performing weaponry.
Having taken us through their
considerable arsenal of death, he asks,
“Are we really on the side of the angels?”
Directed by Arcola Artistic Director
Mehmet Ergen, Shrapnel is a compelling,
moving play performed masterfully by
its cast. Occasionally it veers into the
realms of propaganda, yet Lustgarten’s
urgent, provocative style throws up
important questions. Ultimately 34
innocent people were killed and the
need for both political accountability
and moral responsibility cuts across a
very wide spectrum.
Snow in Paradise was inspired by the life of Martin Askew
– a British gangster turned Sufi Muslim. But does Britain
want to know about the positive impact of Islam?
Special screening & Q&A
with Martin Askew & director
Andrew Hulme, chaired by
inter-faith champion & Tell
Mama head Fiyaz Mughal OBE
in association with
2.15pm, Saturday 6 June 2015
Rio Cinema, Dalston E8 2PB
Event supported by
Tickets & info:
riocinema.org.uk
Frescobaldi
one Turk’s Italian love affair
Since forming Istanbul Doors in 1993, Levent Büyükuğur has quietly revolutionised
Istanbul’s nightlife and restaurant scene. His diners and clubs, Changa, Lucca,
Kitchenette and Angelique among them, are bywords for sophisticated quality, while
his compatriots have also been treated to new culinary delights through his
introduction of international chains such as Zuma to Turkey.
I
The perennial entrepreneur tells T-VINE
how this new mission off London’s
Regent Street came to be…
You’re behind some of Istanbul’s coolest
and most successful establishments.
What tempted you to get involved in
Frescobaldi?
I was introduced to the Frescobaldi
family six years ago. Having always loved
their wine and their incredible history,
I thought it would be a great idea to
instigate a collaboration showcasing
their fantastic wine alongside fine
Italian cuisine. London seemed to be the
best place for the first restaurant.
How did the heritage of the Frescobaldi
family influence the restaurant?
Their family history was key to the
restaurant, not just in relation to the
food and drink, but the interiors too.
My partner and I worked closely with
the design team to replicate a warm
and homely atmosphere, one that
would mirror the feel of the Tuscan
countryside.
What makes Ristorante Frescobaldi
different to other Italian restaurants?
We offer a complete dining experience.
Diners don’t come just for the food, but
to taste some of the best vintages that
Photo: Leyla Kazim
n 20 years, his company grew to own to
42 restaurants, a hotel and a culinary
academy. Having handed the reins
to his successors, Büyükuğur is now
concentrating on his new hospitality
group the Good Food Society that he
formed in 2014 with Sanjay Nandi. Their
latest venture is Ristorante Frescobaldi,
a high-end Italian diner specialising
in Tuscan cuisine, created through a
partnership with Diana Frescobaldi
who heads one of Europe’s oldest and
finest wine dynasties, which date back
to the 1300s.
the Frescobaldi family has been producing for centuries. Unusually we also offer
most of the wines by the glass, even our Cru varieties and “Super Tuscans” such as
Ornellaia. In addition, the menu has distinctive Tuscan specialities, which are very
attractive to Londoners.
Why do you think Italian cuisine is so popular with Turks?
This is probably due in part to the fact that many Italian dishes use fresh seasonal
ingredients to create delicious flavours and that they are also warm and comforting,
all elements which are representative of Turkish food too. I personally think that
Mediterranean cuisine is one of the finest in the world. In fact the first restaurant
that I opened in Istanbul was Italian.
What on talented young chef Roberto Reatini’s menu would you recommend?
We have been very lucky to have Roberto leading the culinary team at Frescobaldi. His
knowledge of classic Italian dishes is exceptional, but he also has this ability to bring
a contemporary twist to his creations. I particularly like the Pappardelle con guancia
di vitello e pane al rosmarino (Veal cheek pappardelle with rosemary bread) and the
Rombo arrosto con patate novelle, salicornia e salsa al limone (Roasted turbot with
new potatoes, samphire and lemon sauce).
How would you compare London and
Istanbul when it comes to food and nightlife?
I consider London to be one of the best
cities in the world for dining, with a uniquely
exceptional depth and breadth of restaurants.
You can find any type of food at any price from
any region of the world at almost any time
of the day and night. London and Istanbul
are very different on several levels – culture,
cuisine and climate to name but three – and I
always miss one or both when I travel.
Leyla Kazim reviews Ristorante Frescobaldi
Despite a location with almost no
passing footfall and having only been
open for two weeks, Frescobaldi was
almost full the Saturday lunch time I
visited. To launch this first independent
UK site, the people behind the centuriesold wine dynasty – Frescobaldi Vini
– have partnered with Good Food
Society, a new hospitality venture
promoted by Levent Büyükuğur.
With its striking frescoes of Italian
renaissance characters, a great central
column with shelves housing Tuscan
paraphernalia, and a fully glass
frontage, the space is both handsome
and welcoming.
Highlights included a lactating
Puglian burrata, with rocket pesto
and ripe tomatoes – the creamiest I’ve
encountered. Marinated black Angus
beef came in the form of joyous lemony
bresaola, with a little gathering of
fantastically dressed firm green lentils
and tiny cubes of courgette.
The wide ribbons of pappardelle with
the veal cheek ragu were gorgeous
– great bite and deep yellow. The
ossobucco was a loaded plate of
flaking veal, flanked by a bank of
creamy white polenta, and with a great
slug of marrow that slipped out of the
bone after just a little persuasion.
Tiramisu came in a mound of yellow
sponge – coloured from extra yolk, I
presume – with a moat of coffee sauce
and bitter toasted beans. It was cleared
in the same amount of time it took me
to register it had arrived.
Small and reasonably priced pregrouped wine flights are available: you
get a taste of three glasses (125ml each),
and there are different groups of three to
choose from, ranging from £16 - £68.
I don’t know how my fellow diners
knew Frescobaldi was there. But know
about it, they did. And now you do too.
www.frescobaldirestaurants.com
My World . Canan Sağar
Her debut release ‘13’ is
an assured, yet intense
album, dealing with assorted
issues, from child abuse
to loneliness. Tight Turkish
Folk-Rock arrangements
tread familiar ground. What
carries the album are Canan’s
poignant, self-penned lyrics
and powerful vocals, moving
effortlessly from tender
ballads to fiery missives,
making each of her 13 tracks
compelling listening.
Where are you originally from?
My family is from Sivas – a province in
central Turkey. I came to the UK when I was
nearly two years old (in 1981). We moved
back to Istanbul where I spent part of my
childhood, returning to London in 1987.
Tell us about your family
I come from a working class family.
My grandparents migrated from their
villages to Istanbul in the late 1960s.
My parents married there and came to
London in 1975 but they always missed
‘home’. They moved back a few times,
but due to the political and economical
climate in Turkey, they decided to raise
my brother and me in the UK. I am
married and have no children at the
moment. I live with two cats that I adore.
You sing, write & play the guitar.
Anything else?
Well, I can also play a bit of saz (a
traditional Turkish stringed instrument)
and sing traditional songs. However, I
keep this to myself and just perform at
home with close friends and family.
How did you get into music?
When I was in primary school I loved
music and wanted to learn to play the
piano. My parents were very supportive,
but the piano teacher we found returned
to his country and that was the end of
that. In 1993, while I was at secondary
school my father bought me a saz and
hired a private teacher. I took lessons
and started to perform in concerts
organised by the Alevi Cultural Centre
and Cemevi (Alevi house of worship).
My journey started with traditional folk
music, but developed as I learned to
play the guitar and write modern songs.
Tell us about your debut album 13
It’s a mixture of Pop, Rock, Folk and Jazz.
Each song has its own style, which my
music director Murat Corak helped to
develop. He encouraged the use of different
instruments in the arrangements, which
we mainly recorded in Marsandiz (a major
studio) in Turkey.
I write my own songs and most on the
album were written ten years ago during
a very difficult period in my life, when I
would question everything around me
and in the world. 13 is a very special song
because it relates to child sexual abuse. I
want to raise awareness as it is a growing
problem in our male-dominated society.
Kanatsız Gökyüzünde (Anne) is one of the
very first songs I wrote. Society has huge
expectations of children as they grow up,
so you can end up severely depressed.
Even if you express your views freely, you
can end up feeling really lonely, so the child
hankers for its mother, the only person it
has a strong bond with.
‘13’ is regarded as unlucky,
so how did it come to be your
album’s name?
It was very difficult to decide on the
album name. 13 is the most important
song as it covers a major global issue.
Society may class ‘13’ as unlucky and
there is sadness in the song, but the
chorus tries to give hope too. Child
abuse happens everywhere in the world.
The majority of the victims are girls and
different societies deal with the issue in
different ways. This album is my way of
saying ‘STOP’!
Who are your musical influences
and idols?
I grew up listening to Cem Karaca and
loved his songs. They resembled real
life stories about the lives of ordinary
people. Traditional songs by the ozans
(poets) of Turkey, such as Aşık Veysel,
Mahsuni Şerif and Pir Sultan Abdal, also
influenced me. Their lyrics embraced
the problems facing societies and they
paid a price for doing this.
Do you listen to British artists?
Although I’m in the UK, I feel closer to
the culture of my roots. I don’t watch
television and don’t really know about
the current UK music scene. I listened
to a lot of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin,
Nirvana, Beatles, and Elvis Priestley,
and I still enjoy their music the most.
You work for an accountancy
firm – what does your boss make
of your budding music career?
I’ve been a senior administrator at
Accounting Direct Plus for the past six years.
My boss Enver Kannur is very supportive.
He has listened to my performances and
came to my album launch.
You write for Red (a Turkish
socialist satirical magazine). Why
does socialism appeal to you?
I have researched and written extensively
about the struggle and the division of
people; the 1% that live in their rich
bubble and the 99% that struggle to eat,
take shelter and survive. This inequality
is foreseen and must be spoken about
far more to raise awareness about the
oppressed. We live in a capitalist city
and although I try to avoid many of the
situations that it pulls us into, there are
a lot of things that I still can’t escape
from. Writing for RED was an amazing
experience for me to learn more about
the sorrows of the poor, inspiring me as
a singer/songwriter who tells the bitter
pains of societies.
13 is out now, available online and from
select North London stores – contact
Canan for more details: Facebook.com/
CananSagarOfficial
17
Classics
Music
Book
Film
Alf
The Lord of the Rings
Alison Moyet, 1984, CBS/Columbia
J.R.R. Tolkein, 1954
The Full Monty
This album was released the same year
I left school and started work as an
unwilling shoe sales-girl in the Kings
Road: it was the first album bought with
my own money. I played it relentlessly
after having my teenage heart broken by
a horrid boy. Ms. Moyet’s deeply soulful
voice perfectly captured my feelings in
the track All Cried Out. Whilst my heart
eventually mended, my love affair with
Alison Moyet’s music still prevails.
I was a prodigious reader as a child,
but was restricted to reading abridged
versions of classics by Dickens, Austen
and the Brontes – until someone had
the foresight to buy this book for
my 9th birthday. I was immediately
transported to a wholly different
world that included dragons and
magic. I read it almost every year now
and at 47 still find myself wishing I
was a Hobbit about to embark on a
great adventure.
I watched this film when it first
arrived on our screens with a sense of
bemusement; the very idea of a motley
group of men of varying ages and
backgrounds creating a striptease act
was hilarious. However, I was deeply
affected by the personal stories and
themes which centred around male
insecurities and really warmed to all the
characters. The British and international
public must have felt the same as it was
a huge commercial success.
Dir. Peter Cattaneo, 1997
London-born Yvonne Cerkez recently released a biography about the founding
TRNC President: Rauf Denktas, a Private Portrait. Read our book review on page 12.
Music
Book
Film
Kadın (Woman)
Bir Gün Tek Başına (Alone One Day)
Arkadaş (Friend)
Ferah’s debut release contains some
of her best songs, such as I’ve Given Up
On The World, Let Me Be Your Woman
and Rain. The lyrics were courageous,
expressing a woman’s feelings in an
unprecedented way. She created her own
style of pop/rock and hard/rock, which
together with her brilliant compositions
kept her in the Turkish charts for a very
long time. She’s a wonderful woman
who’s made a significant contribution to
Turkish rock music.
Vedat Türkali is one of my favourite
authors and I believe he is one of the
best Turkish authors. The book relates
to the military coup period of 27th
May 1960. This story unfolds through
the lives of two civilians: Kenan, a
petite bourgeoise who is married to
Nermin, and his lover Gunseli, who is a
revolutionary university student. It is an
amazing book that should be read by all
classics lovers.
Güney wrote, directed and starred in
this film about two old friends. Adem
(Güney) runs into Cemil whose life has
been transformed following his marriage
to a rich woman. Cemil’s new world
symbolises the corruption prevalent in
the higher social structure, while Azem’s
humble life offers an alternative. The
desires of Cemil’s sister-in-law Melike,
who falls in love with Azem, add more
tension to the main storyline that builds
up to a critical climax.
Şebnem Ferah, Raks Muzik 1996
Vedat Türkali, 1974
Dir. Yılmaz Güney, 1975
Talented singer-songwriter Canan Sagar has just released her debut album 13.
She gives us an insight into her life, music and more in this issue’s My World on page 17.
18
www . turks
Mehmet Ali Uysal’s playful style of art has been making waves since his 2010 installation of a giant clothes peg appeared in a
Belgian park. Last month, he opened his first solo exhibition in the UK titled Block. Here is a selection of his works.
BLOCK, 2015, polyester, sand
Suspended, 2014, polyester, steel
Skin 2, 2010, wood, earth. Courtesy of the Municipality of Liege, BelgiumIstanbul
Peel, 2012, Nesrin Esirtgen Collection, Istanbul
Propa Turkish
#HellimProblems
Eray & Koray
There’s nothing worse than when you
are flying back from the motherland and
a distant cousin or auntie turns up the
morning you are leaving and hands you
10 packs of hellim. They know the laws
against bringing cheese back, as well
as the weight restrictions, but they still
make you feel bad if you say no. Then
you have your nene giving you the “don’t
let the family down” look.
As soon as you say “yes”, they also hand
you a giant bag full of molihiya. However,
to make you feel better, they show you
how light the molihiya is by packing it in
your suitcase for you.
So what happens? Well, you’re stuck at
the airport with the fear of being caught
smuggling contraband hellim through
customs.
When you land back home you then face
the worst decision of your life: “nothing
to declare” or “goods to declare”?
19
We may be living through the austerity years, but one sector that is booming
is men’s grooming. Men’s desire to splash the cash to look good has propelled
the sector to be worth some £1 bn.
It’s not just about buying moisturiser and bronzers. Guys are also bypassing
the cheap and cheerful barbers’ shop where you enter with a unique barnet,
but exit with the uniform one-style-suits-all clipper-cut ‘short back and sides’
for more expensive trims.
At the heart of this explosion in quality men’s hairdressing are
Turkish barbers. They’ve sprung up in every town across the
UK. Among the best known is Ted’s Grooming Room, part of
the top British fashion retail brand Ted Baker.
T-VINE went on a mission to find out how an Englishman
has come to be driving the coolness and popularity
surrounding Turkish barbering. We meet Mus Ismail, a
Turkish Cypriot barber and co-founder of Ted’s Grooming
Room. He started off in his father’s shop in Holborn.
After taking control, he transformed the business, gaining a
reputation as one of the most prestigious barbershops in the
capital. They developed a celebrity following and then one day Ted
Baker’s owner Ray Kelvin started coming in. Mus takes up the story:
“Once we became established as the best in central London, a few celebrities
started coming in, and eventually they brought their friends, until you couldn’t
walk into the Grooming Room without seeing a famous face being shaved.
Showbiz is a small world, and once you cut one person’s hair, it isn’t long before
the rest follow.”
“Naturally, a lot of these guys came from the fashion scene. We had
a few well-known names but the one who loved us the most was
Ray. He loved everything about the shop: the service, the fitout and the quality of cuts and shaves. He really appreciated
the quality and attention to detail of our work. The most
important thing was the energy and atmosphere on the
shop floor. I’ve always employed the best young barbers
around and this created an unbelievable buzz in Holborn.”
“After coming in for a few years, he asked if I would like to
team up with his brand, and it seemed like a perfect fit.”
So an Englishman falls for the charm of Turkish barbering
and invests. And with nine branches opened in the past
five years, the formula is clearly working. We ask Mus what he credits this
phenomenal success to.
“The most important decision I made was not to be afraid of taking a chance
on young talent. We have the biggest team of top quality barbers in Britain and
we insist on a consistently high standard of service in every one of our venues.
We serve ten to fifteen thousand customers per month and plan to open more
Grooming Rooms soon, so this is hugely important. Not only does this mean
we have guys who are extremely loyal to Ted’s Grooming Room (TGR) but that
we have the most energetic atmosphere of any barbershop in London.”
“The guys I employ are all highly talented, but we’ve taught them how to
combine this with professionalism. And when you’ve got a whole team of
young barbers who are not only well-trained, but have also been taught
how to look after a Central London customer, you’ve taken the game to a
whole other level.”
“When you consider the fact that our barbers work fewer hours than in other
Turkish places, it means they can maintain their highest standards
for every single client. And they have time to socialise with
each other after work. Look after your staff and the business
will look after itself; that’s why we arrange for our guys to
use our cocktail bars and go on socials with each other. A
happy barber makes for a happy customer.”
“We’ve shown the barbering world how to improve the
overall experience of visiting a barbers’ shop. There isn’t
another barbers’ shop in London – Turkish, English or
otherwise – that can offer the experience we have. Several
magazines have named us as one of the best barbers’ shop
in the world. Our barbers are so respected, Wahl have told me
personally that they won’t let our guys enter their contests because it’s
unfair on the competition!”
“It’s not just the consistency and excellence of our barbers that sets us
apart though…Ted’s Grooming Room is an entirely different brand to any
other barbers; you simply can’t compare it to anywhere else. I’ve yet to
find anywhere that has a high-quality sound system and a cocktail service
in their store – three of our shops have a bar run by the Looking Glass
Cocktail Club. We love to collaborate with brands like this; we’re
the best in our field and we want to work with people who are
the best in theirs.”
He admits success was never guaranteed, but having found
the optimum mix of barbering services, Mus remains
committed to bringing through the next generation
of top Turkish barbers and becoming internationally
renowned as the best barbering establishment in the
world.
“We have plans for four more Grooming Rooms in
the pipeline. And while we are constantly receiving
requests from around the globe, we are one hundred
per cent determined to stay in London; I’m a Londoner who built a brand
in my city and I want it to stay here.”
“I wasn’t an overnight sensation; I’ve fought my way up from a very early
age. People always ask why we employ so many young Turkish barbers, and
it’s because I came from that community. We’re constantly on the lookout
for young blood; ambitious people who can keep challenging me and
moving the business forward. No matter how successful Ted’s Grooming
Room may have become, I’m still a barber at heart and I can always spot
the good ones.”
E r a y & K o r a y p a y Te d ’ s G r o o m i n g R o o m a v i s i t
After leading the way in fashion for many years
now, Ted Baker recently diversified into old
school Turkish barbers with Ted’s Grooming
Room. We heard on the T-VINE they’d opened
the doors to their newest site in Mortimer
Street (with medical theme, as pictured on
opposite page). To celebrate the launch, we
took our Turkish selves down there to check it out. shaves are done in a traditional fashion with
hot towels, cut throat razors and a standard
Situated over two floors, they offer haircuts, splash of Kolonya after every shave. Even if you
beard trims and of course the traditional Turkish don’t need a makeover, the experience alone
shave. Downstairs you’ll find a cocktail bar is worth the visit: treat yourself to a shave, a
built-in, offering you the chance to sip some fine drink and, if you’re lucky, a bit of lokum (but
concoctions while you’re being groomed. The you didn’t hear that from us).
Hellim Wars
Could Brussels kill off this
vital Turkish Cypriot export?
By İpek Özerim & John Oakes
Every Cypriot home is stocked with hellim – also known as halloumi. Traditionally made
of either sheep or goat’s milk (or, more recently, a mixture of the two plus cheaper cow’s
milk), this centuries-old cheese gets its unique flavour and aroma from the native Cyprus
plants the animals graze on.
Semi-hard with a salty taste and
distinctive layered texture, hellim forms
an intrinsic part of a Cypriot’s daily diet.
It is eaten for breakfast with bread,
olives, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes,
or sprinkled on pasta. It can be used as a
savoury filling in börek and sandwiches,
grilled or barbequed as a meze dish,
served fresh with chilled watermelon, or
cooked as part of a big fry-up…the list
is endless!
Some like this gourmet cheese fresh
and moist, others mature and dry. The
variations have been formulated by
generations of women in villages across
Cyprus who would meet to make their
home-made cheese from fresh milk, salt
and yeast using traditional recipes.
Hellim is set with rennet and, unlike
other cheeses, uses no acid or acidproducing bacteria in its preparation.
Once made, the cheese is stored in urns,
its natural juices mixing with salt-water
to give it a long shelf-life way before the
advent of refrigerators.
Today, most people prefer to buy it from
their local supermarket. It’s estimated
that every Cypriot consumes 8 kilos
of hellim each year. There are over 50
producers in North Cyprus alone catering
to local demand, with Koop, Özlem and
Akgöl being among the top brands.
While the domestic market is large, the
demand abroad is also growing: from
the Middle East to Europe and Australia,
more people are feasting on traditional
Cypriot cheese. 2013 reports put UK
imports of hellim/halloumi by 132%
to 3,030 tonnes. Other big European
consumers are Sweden (1,280 tonnes),
Germany (870) and Austria (510).
Due to the embargoes, the Turkish
Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) is shut
out of the European market, (hence why
Turkish Cypriots living in Europe often
smuggle personal amounts of the cheese
in their luggage after a trip to North
Cyprus). However, TRNC producers sell
in huge volumes to Turkey, the Middle
East, and central Asia.
Statistics show hellim is the backbone
of the TRNC economy, forming 25% of
all exports and generating $30 million
per annum. It is the largest private
sector for jobs, employing 13% of the
entire workforce. The bulk – some
11,000 people – work on dairy farms or
growing animal feed, which produce
over 100,000 tonnes of milk, more than
half of which is used for hellim.
Yet this vital part of Cypriot culture and
the economy is now under threat for
Turkish Cypriots. What should have
been an important opportunity to bring
the two Cypriot sides together has
instead become a major new political
battle ground.
On 17 July 2014, the Greek Cypriot
government applied unilaterally to the
altogether, costing Turkish Cypriots
millions in annual export revenue and
generating huge unemployment.
Much rests with the decision of the
EU Commissioner. Upholding a onesided PDO application would not only
severely damage the TRNC economy,
but also curdle relations between the
Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities.
It would also mean the EU falls foul of its
own laws, particularly Protocol 10 of the
2004 Act of Accession of Cyprus into the
EU, which states that the EU is obliged to
promote “the economic development” of
North Cyprus.
The EU is aware of the high stakes at play
and has sought to reassure Ali Çıralı,
President of KIBSO, the TRNC’s Chamber
of Industry, who has been leading the
charge to defend his members’ interests
since the issue emerged in 2007.
On 4 April 2013, Michaela di Bucci, then
Head of the EU’s Turkish Cypriot Task
Force, told President Çıralı (pictured)
that “the Commission has clarified that
Turkish Cypriot stakeholders should be
involved in the framework of the prior
consultation process that has to take
place at national level”.
“EU’s verdict could curdle relations
between the two Cypriot communities”
EU Commission for a PDO, or Protected
Designation of Origin, to control the trade
in hellim/halloumi. The application, like
their earlier one in 2007, deliberately
excluded TRNC producers, both in talks
to help determine the cheese’s technical
properties and also as co-sponsors of
the PDO.
PDOs protect distinctive regional
products, like Scotch Whisky, Italian
Parmesan or French Champagne, by
stopping producers elsewhere from
making same-name copies, which fool
shoppers into paying lower prices for
inferior goods while damaging sales of
the genuine product.
Producers on both sides of the divide
welcomed the move to protect Cypriot
cheese. However, those in the north fear
that, if the PDO is not properly worded
or implemented by Brussels, TRNC
hellim will not be covered, preventing
the export of this centuries-old cheese
In October 2014, the EU Commission
again assured President Çıralı that it
was “fully aware of the great economic
importance” of hellim to the TRNC and
encouraged them to work with their
Greek Cypriot counterparts. Yet each
time KIBSO has tried to have a say in
the PDO, they were blocked by the
internationally-recognised, but solely
Greek Cypriot-administered Republic of
Cyprus (RoC) government.
In 2014, efforts to get hellim supervised
by the bi-communal UN Technical
Committees, which have managed
joint action over Missing Persons and
Heritage Sites, but this too was blocked.
Fundamental legal flaws
in the Greek Cypriot
PDO application
With no alternative, in September 2014
KIBSO decided to take legal action to
protect Turkish Cypriot rights. Five cases
were lodged at the High Court in South
Cyprus challenging the RoC’s unilateral
application.
The
PDO’s
legal
flaws
were
communicated to the Director General
of Agriculture at the EU Commission
by KIBSO’s Brussels lawyers NTCM
The TRNC hellim sector
in numbers
• Sector worth $30 million
annually
• Accounts for 24% of all TRNC
exports
• Employs 12,190 people, from
dairy farmers to vets
• Over 50% of the 140 million
litres of milk produced in 2014
was used for hellim
• There are 50 hellim
manufacturers in the TRNC
• 6.5% of TRNC population’s
livelihood is reliant on hellim
O’Connor. They argued that the hellim/
halloumi PDO cannot continue in its
current state as it fails to comply with
both general and specific EU laws. For
example, none of the PDO’s details
were made available in Turkish to the
producers in North Cyprus, even though
this is an official language of the RoC; nor
did the national procedure give TRNC
producers the opportunity to make their
views known or exercise their rights.
These points were also highlighted by
human rights group Embargoed!. In
December, their supporters bombarded
Commissioner Cretu with letters
urging the “European Commission [to]
intervene in this matter” to ensure the
application is “genuinely for the whole
island”. This message was echoed by
other international actors, including
the British government, urged on by
Westminster’s All-Party Parliamentary
Group for the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus.
Instead of waiting for the outcome of the
court cases or enabling Turkish Cypriots
to take part in the process, the Greek
Cypriot authorities decided to press
ahead with their unilateral plans.
Earlier this year, the temperature
shot up when they announced it was
“only a matter of weeks” before the
EU Commission approved the hellim/
halloumi PDO and published it in the
EU’s Official Journal. This brought
about a furious level of activity from
the Turkish Cypriot side desperate to
protect their rights.
23
PDO hinges on
technicalities: who will
inspect hellim?
The battle has come to centre on
who will regulate the production of
cheese in the North. Once the PDO is
in place, the cheese must be regularly
sampled and tested by a competent
authority. Ordinarily, the EU would
expect the Ministry of Agriculture of a
Member State to be responsible for the
inspection. However, having admitted a
divided island into its midst in 2004 and
only recognising the RoC, the EU openly
states this authority has no effective
control in the TRNC.
In January 2015, the TRNC’s then
Chief UN Negotiator, Ergün Olgun,
told officials in Brussels that hellim
inspection should be carried out by an
agency in North Cyprus. He suggested
that either the TRNC’s internationallyrecognised Chamber of Commerce
(KTTO), which oversees the inspection
of goods crossing the Green Line, or
KIBSO would be perfectly competent to
carry out this function.
The issue was also taken up by British
MEP Catherine Bearder, who wrote to EU
Commissioners stressing the “significant
negative impact” a Greek Cypriot-only
PDO would have. In the light of this,
and “the continued political
position in Cyprus”, she
asked the Commission
to ensure that “any
PDO status will be fully
available to Hellim
producers in both the
Greek and the Turkish
areas of Cyprus.”
In a written response in
March, the Commission told
Bearder they were happy “the
application defines the geographical
area as encompassing the entire island
of Cyprus, and allows for the alternative
or cumulative use of the terms
“Halloumi”/”Hellim” by any eligible
producer that fully meets the related
specification.”
They also stated that, “Regulation (EU)
No 1151/2012 requires the establishment
of an appropriate control mechanism
encompassing all eligible producers
throughout the island. In the case of
Cyprus, this will need to take into account
the circumstances prevailing on the
island. An effective control mechanism
has to allow all eligible producers
to fully benefit from registration of
“Halloumi”/”Hellim” in order to help
maximising all possible benefits.”
24
Goat’s milk - an essential ingredient in hellim
It would appear that the PDO
application hangs on the technicalities.
Even if all Cypriot producers agree
on the ingredients – and according to
Greek Cypriot media reports, many in
the South intend to file an objection to
their own government’s specifications,
which limits the amount of cow’s milk in
halloumi – the Commission is seemingly
unable to proceed until it has clarified
who will inspect production in the TRNC.
PDO but clarify that there will be an
exemption for North Cyprus, which
would need an alternative inspection
mechanism. This news infuriated
the Greek Cypriots and their Foreign
Minister Kasoulides threatened to take
the Commission to the European Court
of Justice. Given the RoC’s clear failings
on the handling of the PDO national
consultation, it is unlikely the ECJ would
deliver them a positive legal ruling.
As KIBSO lawyers point out, it
is not unusual for there to
be multiple competent
authorities and control
bodies
supervising
Geographic Indication
registrations in EU
Member States. So the
Hellim Issue could be
solved by appointing
independent inspectors
in the north, answerable
to the EU without coming
under the direct control of the
authorities in South Cyprus – a red line
issue for the Turkish Cypriots, who have
been battling for decades to safeguard
their political equality on the island.
The Turkish Cypriots remain united in
their efforts to protect their hellim rights.
Akgöl’s owner Sadık Gürün said, “Hellim
is a joint produce of the island. Its owner
is not Greek Cypriot. If the PDO went
ahead [as it stands] our business would
come to a standstill. The TRNC has many
hellim producers. For that reason we are
all working hard to avoid this becoming
a one-sided PDO…We believe the EU will
not allow hellim to come under the sole
control of Greek Cypriots.”
What next?
Naturally, the Greek Cypriot authorities
resist any efforts to undermine their
long-held policy that they – and they
alone – are responsible for all matters
on the island. With both sides digging in,
it means an impasse for the PDO, with
all eyes on Brussels.
In February 2015, the Commission
asked its Legal Department to provide
an opinion on how they should manage
this issue. One idea was to publish the
KTTO President Fikri Toros also agrees
and told T-VINE: “Mindful of the prevailing
political reality on the island, the control
mechanism in North Cyprus must be set
up in such a way that it does not become
dependent on the effective control of the
Greek Cypriot authorities.”
In April, KTTO and KIBSO were informed
by the Commission that the PDO is
on hold until it can determine an
effective control mechanism for North
Cyprus, which can verify compliance by
producers.
For now, the north’s immediate battle
to preserve hellim rights has been
won. One wonders if the ceasefire
will hold and the common sense view
championed by the Turkish Cypriot side
will prevail.
Ramazan – the holiest month of the year
Described in Turkish as ‘12
ayın sultanı’ (the queen of
12 months), Ramazan is the
holiest month in the Islamic
calendar.
During this 30-day period, Muslims fast
between the hours of sunrise and sunset
as they consciously reconnect with God
(Allah) and their faith. Any good deeds
and all prayers during this time count
for double.
In 2015, Ramazan runs from 18 June to
16 July. The dates are set by the lunar
calendar; those in the West following
the Gregorian calendar will find the
dates shift forward by about 10 days
each year.
T-VINE asked Abdul Abduallah, the imam
of Shacklewell Lane Mosque – the UK’s
first Turkish-owned mosque – to explain
what happens during this holy month.
Tell us about Ramazan and fasting…
“The prophet Muhammed (peace be upon
him/pbh) received the first revelations of
the holy Kuran during Ramazan. Fasting
during this month is a pillar of Islam – it
is obligatory for all Muslims. The solid
structure of a house is built around its
core pillars, and your spiritual faith is no
different.”
“Being healthy and having faith is
essential for fasting – if you are elderly,
pre-pubescent, or sick, you are excluded.
Women menstruating are also exempt
and, like others who may have skipped
a few days perhaps through illness, must
complete their fast before the following
Ramazan. However, women do not need
to make-up on missed prayer-time.”
“There are multiple purposes and wisdom
behind this holiest of months – not all are
immediately evident. Allah promised to
reward everyone who fasts. It is a time for
compassion, when we reflect on the poor
who go without food all year round. It is a
time to spiritually bond with our brothers
and sisters.”
“During Ramazan, we aim to read
the entire Kuran over 29 or 30 nights,
depending on the lunar calendar. The
book is a collection of sayings from God.
Its core is unshaken – the content has not
changed in over 14 hundred years. It is
truthful and trustworthy.”
UK Turkish Islamic Trust
Funeral Services
We are the UK’s first Turkish Islamic Trust and Turkish mosque in
Shacklewell Lane, serving the community since 1977. We administer funerals
across Britain and the repatriation of the deceased to Turkey and the TRNC.
Our extensive experience and meticulous preparation in accordance with the
wishes of the bereaved family ensures your loved one receives the very best
send-off.
UKTIT Funeral Services, 9-15 Shacklewell Lane, London E8 2DA
Tel: 020 7249 2244
www.ukturkishislamictrust.co.uk
Emergency/out of office hours tel: 0783 633 8766
26
What else do Muslims do during
Ramazan other than fast?
“Muslims are obliged to pray five times
a day [the ‘salât – the second of the five
pillars of Islam]. During Ramazan, after
evening Isha [Yatsı] prayer, many do
additional voluntary prayers, often at
the mosque where they can also hear
lectures by guest speakers.”
“It is why the mosques are always full
during Ramazan. Muslims are conscious
about their behaviour. But forgiveness
comes with conditions: you must regret
your sin, you must want not to go back
to your bad ways, and you must ask for
forgiveness with these intentions [at
the forefront of your mind]. There’s no
sin that’s not forgivable if you ask for it:
“Shacklewell Lane Mosque welcomes all
the family and our Ramazan programme
aims to help people reflect on their
different roles. For example, how to be a
good husband, father, and son.”
‘Oh Allah, you are the one who loves to
forgive, forgive me.’”
What is the Night of Power?
“The Night of Power (Kadir Gecesi) occurs
during the last ten days of Ramazan [this
year it falls on 13 July]. It commemorates,
among other things, the revelation of the
Kuran to the Prophet Muhammed (pbh).
As set out in the Kadr Suresi [a chapter in
the Kuran], those who pray on this special
night will have done the equivalent of 80
years of worship.”
“We also offer food so the congregation
can break fast together. It is a good deed
to feed those who are fasting – even if you
yourself do not fast you receive blessings
for your actions.”
“This is not about what the preachers tell
you – no Muslim has the right to judge
another. This night is a gift from God, a
chance to repent and use your faith as
a cleanser. You become inspired and
become ready to meet your destiny.”
Why do good deeds count for double?
And what if you repeat your sinful ways?
“During Ramazan, our ordinary status
is elevated and all good deeds and
prayers are multiplied. Those who fail to
take advantage of this holy month, the
Prophet cursed thrice: ‘May he perish.
May he perish. May he perish’. They are
life’s losers because the heavens are open
during this month and only ungrateful
people will fail to reach out to God.”
Why do Muslims give fıtre?
“’Zekat’ is giving alms and it is mandatory
for all Muslims who can afford it. Giving
charity towards the end of Ramazan is
called ‘fıtre’: it helps the poor to celebrate
Bayram along with better-off Muslims.
In the past, this was measured by a
cupped handful of food – an adult will
contribute as many handfuls as they
have dependents. These days a monetary
equivalent is set. In the UK it is about £4.”
Imam Abdul Abduallah
UK Turkish Islamic Trust
Ramazan Alms / F itre
Fitre is not only a vital gift,
but also a duty for Muslims.
Your donation will help the poorest and most vulnerable
among us to enjoy Ramazan Bayramı too, by giving them
the means to buy food for their families.
DONATE NOW!
Account Name
Account Number
Sort Code
Reference
: UK Turkish Islamic Trust
: 40759163
: 20-44-91
: Ramazan 2015 Alms
Caring together makes us stronger
ukturkishislamictrust.co.uk (registered charity number: 275829)
& Shacklewell Lane Mosque, 9-15 Shacklewell Lane, London E8 2DA
27
T-VINE
. UK
The Queen leads Gallipoli centenary
commemoration in London
On 25 April, the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince William,
servicemen and the relatives of soldiers who served during the
failed Gallipoli campaign came together on its one hundredth
anniversary to remember those who had lost their lives. Also
known as ANZAC Day, it commenced with the annual Dawn
Service at Hyde Park Corner. At 9am, a short service and wreathlaying ceremony took place at the Gallipoli Memorial in the crypt
of St Paul’s Cathedral.
It was followed by an hour-long public commemoration service
at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, televised live to the world, marking
a memorable and moving day when former foes were reconciled
as friends. A two-minute silence commenced when Big Ben struck
11am, followed by the Last Post played by buglers from the Royal
Marines. The Queen laid the first wreath, with the British Prime
Minister, the ambassadors of Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey,
and many other notables following suit.
There were prayers, readings by schoolchildren, and hymns in
between the national anthems. The İstiklâl Marşı was sung by
opera singer Burak Gülşen, preceded by a reading of Atatürk’s
message to bereaved pilgrims, read by Ambassador Bilgiç’s
14-year-old daughter Ecenur.
SAVE
OUR
EXAMS
s
Ca
m
p
ish
rk
A campaign to save Turkish
exams in Britain has secured
widespread backing. It was
first brought to the public’s
attention by Londra Gazete
in March, when teachers,
C
SE
students and parents in the
s
community were astonished by
national examination board OCR’s
decision to abolish Turkish exams. As
things stand, no secondary school will
be able to offer Turkish GCSE and A
Levels from 2017.
In the middle of the road was a small-scale reproduction of Nadir
Imamoğlu’s striking oak tree sculpture Gallipoli 1915. The Turkish
Air Force Band performed Marche Mustafa Kemal Atatürk by Fazıl
Çağlayan during the march-off.
A campaign to reinstate Turkish
exams on Change.org has
attracted nearly 2,500
signatures and there has
been universal support
from Britain’s three big
political parties. On 24
March, Enfield North MP
v
Nick
de Bois led a debate
e
& A l
in Parliament about the
threat lesser-taught minority
languages in Britain were facing. The
heightened awareness resulted in many
other high profile politicians throwing
their weight behind the campaign,
to save
gn
Tu
ai
G
el
Save Turkish exams
The Queen during the 2-minute silence, with Imamoğlu’s
Gallipoli 1915 tree sculpture behind
including Mayor of London Boris
Johnson, himself of Turkish heritage.
Labour and the Conservatives have
pledged to reinstate the exams if they
form the next government, with shadow
education secretary Tristram Hunt
calling the decision to scrap Turkish
“short-sighted”.
The OCR claims there is insufficient
demand. Yet its June 2014 results
show more students took Turkish ‘A’
Level than either German or Spanish,
suggesting other factors are at play.
Historic General
Election hustings for
British Turks
On 29 April, all four British Parliamentary
candidates of Turkish heritage were on the
panel for an historic UK General Election
debate organised by T-VINE Magazine.
Styled along the lines of Question Time,
a variety of questions were put to Gönül
Daniels, Ibby Mehmet, Dr. Turhan Özen
and Isabel Sigmac during the 2-hour
session, chaired by T-VINE columnist and
respected community activist Ertanch
Hidayetin. The most heated debates were
on education, the economy, and identity.
28
L-R: Isabel Sigmac, Dr. Turhan Özen, Gönül Daniels, & Ibby Mehmet
The event – the first of its kind for British the candidates from our communities, to
Turks – was held at the Turkish Cypriot present these candidates as role models,
Community Association in North London. and to tackle the apathy our communities
suffer from, and urge people to go out
Afterwards, event chair Hidayettin said, and vote…All the feedback from the
“It was a privilege for me to chair the attendees, panel and the media was
hustings event. This was no ordinary extremely positive. I believe that many
event; we had a multiplicity of objectives: other important issues could be debated
to publicly recognise the achievements of through this type of format in the future.”
T-VINE
T-VINE Columnists
See online for the full articles
Remembering Osman Türkay on
his 88th birth anniversary was
the focus of Semra Eren-Nijhar’s
February column. An internationally
acclaimed Turkish Cypriot poet and
writer, Türkay was nominated twice
for the Nobel Prize for Literature
and
has
won
multiple awards for
his contribution to
literature, yet few in
his own community
seem to know of him.
Semra’s October FOCUS was a
hard-hitting piece called Chanel
fashion show and fake feminism:
do women really need to see that?
about a fake protest march in Paris
where models carried slogans such
as ‘Make Fashion Not War’ and
‘Feminism Not Masochism’. Designer
Karl Lagerfeld was criticised for
his hypocrisy: “women do not like
being used, their struggles hijacked
by an industry that projects its
twisted version of the emancipation
of women, while their main aim is to
make money...”
Three new columns from Ertanch
Hidayettin: his first – Slave to
technology – is a hilarious take on
our addiction to mobile devices and
its impact on our lives: “On the night
I received my present, while using the
Kindle, I felt sleepy. The damn thing
fell and hit me squarely on the head.”
Should we back candidates because
they share the same ethnicity as
us or support the best person for
the job? This formed the subject of
Ertanch’s column Positive action vs
positive discrimination.
In Marching against racism
Ertanch gives a personal account
of attending the International
Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination in London on 21
March. He laments the lack of British
Turks present, ending with the
words of Pastor Martin Niemöller:
“First they came for the Socialists…
Then they came for me. There was no
one left to speak out for me”.
. UK
Art works…
Dalston’s Shacklewell
Lane Mosque (the UK’s
first Turkish mosque)
paints its dome in the runup to the General Elections
& gets into hot water with
the Charity Commission
Tracey Emin became the fifth artist
to re-design the Brit award statue,
which was received by the likes of Ed
Sheeran, Sam Smith & Taylor Swift
during this year’s ceremony. The
light pink coloured figurine included
a message from Emin, which read:
“Congratulations on your talent on your
life. On everything you give to others.
Thank you”
Heard it on the T-VINE...
• End of an era: after 25 years of
broadcasting on the Medium Wave,
British Turks lost their sole official
voice on the airways following
OFCOM’s decision to re-allocate
London Turkish Radio’s 1584 AM
frequency to Panjab Radio – a
station serving British Asians. The
switch took place on 6 March.
• The community was in a flutter at
the prospect of a new TV reality
show dubbed ‘The Turkashians’
about a modern Turkish family. Muge
Productions contacted T-VINE to
explain who they were after to feature
in six 3-minute episodes that will be
presented for airing on Channel 4
Shorts. If the mini series is a hit, the
producers could be commissioned to
turn it into a full TV series. The massive
publicity helped director / writer Muge
Ahmet locate her ideal family. Watch
this space!
• A
successful
Turkish
Cypriot
businessman is among three new
millionaires to join Dragons’ Den
for series 13, the BBC announced in
March. Retail king Touker Suleyman
– whose business portfolio includes
fashion brands Hawes & Curtis and
Ghost – Nick Jenkins and Sarah
Willingham join existing Dragons
Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden
who decide whether to invest
in budding entrepreneurs with
their own cash. The next series
of the hit TV show will be aired
on BBC 2 in the autumn.
• In February, the London School of
Economics came under fire from
Turkish Cypriots who were refused
entry to a public meeting addressed
by the TRNC Foreign Minister Özdil
Nami. University officials claimed
they were compelled to take severe
safety measures because of “threats”
received.
29
T-VINE
. TRNC
Akıncı wins the TRNC Presidential race
Mustafa Akıncı cruised to a second
round victory against incumbent
Dr Derviş Eroğlu in the Presidential
Elections on 26 April to become
the fourth TRNC President since
the founding of the Turkish Cypriot
republic in 1983.
Both candidates had run as
independents, with Akıncı’s pro-Cyprus
unity policy courting most favour
with the electorate, as he took every
district across North Cyprus bar İskele
– traditionally an Eroğlu stronghold.
The 67-year-old former leader of the
Communal Democrat Party (TDP) and
Mayor of Lefkoşa received extensive
support from the trade unions and
left-wing parties, including the ruling
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) whose
candidate Sibel Siber was knocked out
in the first round. It propelled Akıncı to
secure 60.5% of the vote, while political
veteran Eroğlu, backed by the National
Unity Party (UBP) and junior coalition
partner Democrat Party, polled just
39.5%. Aged 77, Eroğlu is now expected
to bow out of politics.
113,478 of the 176,980 electorate voted
in the run-off. At 64.12%, turnout was
marginally higher than in the first
round, although far lower than in
previous TRNC elections.
A total of seven candidates stood
in the first round, including former
Presidential aide and Toparlanıyoruz
head Kudret Özersay who came fourth
with 21.23% of the votes. It’s unclear
if Akıncı will call upon Özersay, who
has served the three former TRNC
Presidents at the Cyprus talks.
Landmark ruling helps Brits strike a blow for property justice in North Cyprus
A ruling set down by Girne District Court
in North Cyprus in January could shape
the future of hundreds of TRNC property
owners caught up in the country’s
stealth mortgage debacle. Judge Talat
found in favour of residents on the
Kulaksız 5 site in Lapta, who have been
battling since 2008 to prevent Akfinans
Bank from seizing their homes as assets
against loans which their property
developer had failed to repay.
In addition to finding in favour of the
Kulaksız 5 (K5) families, the Judge
also passed a damning verdict on
Akfinans Bank, claiming its actions
were “fraudulent”. He has ordered that
the ownership of the villas be returned
to the K5 residents and that the kocans
(title deeds) reflect the original status of
ownership before the loans were issued.
In his decision, Judge Talat said not only
30
did Akfinans know the land offered as
surety in 2005 by the landowner Yılmaz
Yüksel and his property developer
partner Abdurrahman Güney, director
of Girne-based Kulaksız Construction,
was already sold, but they also chose
to wait several years before taking any
action when these gentlemen defaulted
on their loan repayments.
Güney, who had already defaulted on a
small loan of £1,600, took out a second
loan of 104,000 TL loan (about £44,000),
offering the bank security in the form
of three plots on K5, which is located
in Karşıyaka west of Girne. The three
plots, each with a villa, were occupied
by the landowner Yüksel. The remaining
ten plots, which also contained newlybuilt villas, had been sold by Kulaksız
Construction to foreign buyers, some of
whom had already taken up residence
on the site.
Instead of seizing the three plots when
Güney again defaulted, Akfinans Bank
allowed the developer’s debt to rise
through the exorbitant levels of interest
they were legally permitted to charge
– 80% compound per quarter. By 2008,
the debt was over a million TL, which
the bank then tried to pass off on to
the innocent K5 homebuyers claiming
that the surety offered by Güney was
for the entire K5 estate, which they had
described as ‘bare land’ on the loan
agreement they lodged at the TRNC
Land Registry.
T-VINE
. TRNC
News in brief...
Conservative MEP Daniel
Hannan was the keynote
speaker at two charity
events hosted in Girne,
North Cyprus in February,
helping to raise vital funds
for the SOS Children’s Village in Lefkoşa.
The pro-Turkish politician spoke at a
luncheon at Deniz Kızı Hotel and also
at a dinner at The Colony Hotel, which
were both organised by well-known
TRNC wedding planner Carol ScottGibbs. Since opening in 1993, the SOS
Children’s Village has given North Cyprus
a unique facility by caring for deprived,
neglected or orphaned children.
Sibel Siber rubbed shoulders with
Prince Charles during the Gallipoli
Campaign centenary events in Turkey. The
TRNC Speaker of Parliament and Prince
Charles were among the international
guests attending the commemoration
service at Çanakkale before attending a
peace summit in Istanbul.
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Safiye Nadir, mother of business tycoon
Asil Nadir, passed away at her home in
Bellapais on 17 April aged 94. Married
at 15 to a police officer İrfan Nadir, the
couple settled in Lefke, where she gave
birth to three children: Meral, Asil and
Bilge. In the 1940s they moved to Mağusa
and turned their hand to business,
opening a gift and book shop in Maraş.
Her husband was a modern man and
so she became one of the first women
on the island to drive, remaining a role
model for Turkish women throughout
her life. In 1961, the family moved to
London and opened a textile business,
which grew spectacularly under their
son Asil’s direction. They returned to
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made in November 2013 when Sertoğlu
and his Greek Cypriot counterpart signed
an historic deal brokered by FIFA to unite
football on the island under a common
umbrella. There has been little action
from South Cyprus and FIFA following
the agreement, which the CTFA hopes to
change with this move.
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T-VINE
. Turkey
1915 remembered
Turkish exports hit
record high in 2014
Turkey’s annual export figures rose to
an all-time high last year. According to
the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM),
exports grew by 4 percent to $157.6
billion. While the figures were just
below the government’s target of $160.5
billion, Europe’s faltering economy
and the conflict raging in Turkey’s
neighbourhood meant the news was
warmly welcomed by all.
Turkey
commemorated
two
devastating legacies of World War
One – the Gallipoli Campaign and the
massacres of Turkish Armenians – in a
series of events on 24th April.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
hosted Prince Charles and 21 heads
of state, including the prime ministers
of Australia and New Zealand, Tony
Abbott and John Key, in Çanakkale
to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli
landings, which claimed 140,000 lives.
Wreaths were laid at the Cape Helles
memorial, a towering stone obelisk on
the southernmost tip of the peninsula,
with Mehmet Görmez, the head of
the Directorate for Religious Affairs
(Diyanet), opening the hour long
service with prayers.
The following morning, Abbott and Key
attended the annual Dawn Service at
Anzac Cove with an estimated 10,000
Australians and New Zealanders who
had travelled to Turkey to honour
the ANZAC soldiers that had landed
in Gallipoli on 25th April 1915, many
never to return.
Also on 24th April, Armenians from
around the globe journeyed to Istanbul
to commemorate the centenary of the
mass killings of their ancestors by the
Ottomans. Turkey refuses to accept
the events as ‘genocide’, claiming the
deaths came during a massive loss of
life for all sides during World War I.
Academics also continue to dispute
the total numbers killed. However,
32
the AKP government has gone further
towards reconciliation than any other.
It has organised conferences to reveal
the truth of what happened in 1915,
it has tried to increase trade with
Armenia, and even mooted an historic
protocol between the two countries;
while last year Erdoğan issued an
unprecedented message of regret to
the Armenian nation.
Chief among the 2015 events
organised by Turkish and foreign
non-governmental organisations in
Turkey was a special service by the
Turkish Armenian Patriarchate at the
Mother Mary Church in Kumkapı. It
was attended by Turkey’s EU Affairs
Minister Volkan Bozkır – the first time
any Turkish government official has
participated in a commemoration
event for Armenians. Messages of
condolence from the Turkish President
and Prime Minister Davutoğlu were
also read out.
Other events took place in Taksim
Square and at Haydarpaşa train
station, attended by thousands of
people. Several Turkish newspapers
dedicated their front covers to the
Armenian commemorations including
Cumhuriyet, a centre-left broadsheet,
which ran the headline: “Never again”.
It featured an extensive interview with
murdered newspaper editor Hrant
Dink’s widow Rakel, who described
her family’s difficult experiences as
Armenians in Turkey during and after
War War I.
The primary sectors driving Turkish
exports were the automotive industry
($22.3 bn in 2014), textiles ($18.7 bn) and
chemicals ($17.8 bn), recording growth
of between 2 and 8 percent. Sales
from Turkey’s jewellery, defence and
aviation sectors also enjoyed significant
increases. Four out of Turkey’s five big
export markets remain within the EU:
Germany ($14.9 billion in 2014), Iraq
($10.7 billion), the U.K. ($9.7 billion),
Italy ($7 billion) and France ($6.4 billion).
Exports to neighbouring Russia fell 15
percent due to the Ukraine crisis and
Western sanctions.
Legends pass away
Four of Turkey’s cultural giants have
passed away in recent months. In
February, Müzeyyen Senar, the doyen of
Turkish Classical music, died aged 96. A
few weeks later, Turkey’s top author Yaşar
Kemal passed away aged 92. In April,
Turkish Pop lost Kayahan – one of its best
loved and successful singer-songwriters.
In May, the country was plunged into
mourning again with the death of veteran
actor Zeki Alasya aged 72.
T-VINE
. Global
Bülent Kılıç wins ‘Best Photographer of 2014
Photo: Bülent Kılıç/AFP
Images produced by a Turkish
photographer were selected as being
among the world’s best. Bülent Kılıç,
who works with the AFP news agency,
picked up awards from Time Magazine
and The Guardian newspaper for his
photographs during various crises in
Turkey and the region in 2014.
Among his most re-produced photos
were those of the clashes between the
public and Turkish police during the
funeral procession for Gezi Park victim
Berkin Elvan, the Soma Mining Disaster,
the Syrian refugee and Kobani crises, the
Ukraine conflict, and scenes from the
wreckage of the MH17 air crash.
TIME Magazine’s Olivier Laurent said,
“Amidst a turbulent year, Bulent Kılıç’s
photographs have consistently grabbed
the attention of editors and viewers
around the world.”
Young woman arrested during Gezi Park victim Berkin Elvan’s funeral in Istanbul
Amal Clooney vs Doğu Perincek over Armenian killings Yılmaz Erdoğan wins at
the Australian Oscars
Russell Crowe’s directorial debut The
Water Diviner was voted joint Best Film
at the Australia Academy of Cinema and
Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, held in
Sydney. Yılmaz Erdoğan, who starred in
the film, won Best Supporting Actor.
In January, Doğu Perinçek, chairman
of the Turkish Workers’ Party and an
MP, was back at the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR) to defend his right
to freedom of speech. He was found
guilty of genocide denial and racial
discrimination in Switzerland in 2007,
but had his conviction overturned at
the ECHR in 2013 in a case supported by
the government of Turkey. Switzerland
appealed the decision and since
September, Armenia has also become
a party to the case, represented by
barristers Amal Clooney and Geoffrey
Robertson QC of Doughty Street
Chambers.
At the ECHR hearing, Mrs Clooney
accused Turkey of double standards
for defending the Turkish Leftist who
describes the Armenian genocide an
“international lie”. She said Turkey’s
stance was hypocritical “because of
its disgraceful record on freedom of
expression”.
In its December 2013 ruling, the ECHR
stated that “free exercise of the right to
openly discuss questions of a sensitive
and controversial nature is one of the
fundamental aspects of freedom of
expression and distinguishes a tolerant
and pluralistic democratic society from a
totalitarian or dictatorial regime.”
Perinçek reminded the court that its 2013
ruling had determined that opinions on
the 1915 incidents were disputable. He
A successful director, writer, and actor in
Turkey, this was the first time Erdoğan
had appeared in an English-language
film and also the biggest budget
production of his career. He beat three
others, including Robert Pattinson,
to win the AACTA award. On receiving
his trophy, Erdoğan told the audience,
“Thank you mate”, demonstrating the
Aussie traits he had picked up during
filming.
stated that ‘genocide’ was a “judicial
phrase” and studies indicated that the
Ottoman Empire did not act with a
motive to completely destroy Armenian
society in Anatolia.
The ECHR’s Grand Chamber will give its
final decision in the coming months.
Its ruling will not determine whether
the Armenian massacres amounted
to genocide, but simply whether
Switzerland’s laws infringe Doğu
Perinçek’s freedom of expression.
33
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Doğtaş
Whether it’s only
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We may not all have stunning
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spring gifts
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Get Away . Çanakkale
Büyük Han
Çanakkale
Beach now form part of the annual Dawn
Service that takes place every 25th April.
Visiting the Gallipoli battlefields during this centenary
year is certainly one the major reasons to travel to the
southwest coast of Turkey, but that’s not all the Çanakkale
district has to offer. From its charming old city centre to
the resplendent ruins of ancient Troy, travellers can sample
the best of classic and contemporary history, while also
enjoying a dip in the Aegean Sea.
Touring the battlefields
Situated between the Dardanelles and
the Aegean Sea, the natural beauty
and tranquil nature of today’s Gallipoli
Peninsula makes it difficult to imagine
the calamitous war that occurred here
one hundred years ago. The area is now
protected as a national park and has
become a place of pilgrimage for Turks
and foreigners alike who come to pay
homage to the bravery and camaraderie
of the soldiers who fought and died here.
There are multiple cemeteries and
memorials for both Turkish and Allied
soldiers. The easiest way to see them all
is by car. The roads are well-maintained
36
and signposted. Those happier on foot,
but short on time can do the ‘Anzac
Walk’ – a one-day trek that starts at
North Beach and snakes through the
various battle sites on the Peninsula.
It includes a visit to Anzac Cove, where
the Allies first landed on 25 April 1915
and which formed the military base
for Australian and New Zealand troops
during the eight-month campaign.
In nearby Arı Burnu, you can find the
monolith that is inscribed with the
famous words by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
to the first Australians, New Zealanders
and British to visit the Gallipoli
battlefields in 1934. The site and North
The Çanakkale Martyrs Memorial
(main picture) is located on Hisarlık
Hill in Morto Bay at the southern end
of the Peninsula. Measuring 41.7 m
(137 ft) high, this huge monument,
in the form of four square columns
with a thick concrete crown, is visible
from the Dardanelles. Underneath the
memorial is the War Museum, which
includes displays of original personal
and military items, such as cutlery, a
set of false teeth, belt buckles, sniper
shields, and photographs found on the
battlefield.
Other notable monuments include the
Cape Helles Memorial to the Missing, a
towering stone obelisk whose square
base walls bear the names of the 20,673
British and Commonwealth servicemen
who lost their lives nearby but for
whom no grave exists. The 57th Infantry
Regiment Memorial, which was unveiled
in 1992, is dedicated to the Turkish
troops who died defending the cove
when the Allies landed in April 1915.
Every man in the regiment was killed
Get Away . Çanakkale
fulfilling the command of LieutenantColonel Mustafa Kemal, who said: “I do
not order you to attack, I order you to
die. In the time which passes until we die
other troops and commanders can take
our place.”
Girne Gate
A modern addition for military historians
is the Gallipoli Simulation Centre
(Çanakkale Destanı Tanıtım Merkezi),
just east of the village of Kabatepe and a
short drive along the coastal road from
Anzac Cove. Here, visitors can embark
on a 2-hour long, 3D-journey through
the Gallipoli naval and land campaigns
that are displayed in 11 hi-tech galleries,
which alternate between the Turkish
and Allied experiences.
Troy – where mythology meets
archaeology
Written about by Homer in his epic poem
Iliad and the focus of many a Hollywood
film, Troy (Truva in Turkish) is a land of
ancient wars and legends, making it a
must-see destination for any visitor to
the region.
A 40-minute drive from Çanakkale,
Troy is situated on the Biga Peninsula,
on the slopes of Kaz Dağı (also known
as Mount Ida), close to Edremit. Since
being founded in 3000 BC, it has
survived numerous attacks by local
and foreign powers keen to capture
this strategic town that overlooks
the vital Dardenelles Straits, which
divide Europe from Asia. Today it is a
protected World Heritage site due to the
extensive archaeological excavations,
including Troy’s ancient city walls, the
ancient town of Assos where Aristotle
once lived, and a holy site in Gülpınar
where stand the impressive ruins of
Apollo Smintheus Temple, which is also
referred to in the Iliad.
A myriad mythical stories revolve
around Troy. The most famous concerns
the world’s first beauty contest: at a
party thrown by Zeus, three goddesses
– Hera, Athena and Aphrodite – seek to
claim a golden apple from the Garden
of Hesperides inscribed with the words
‘for the fairest one’. Unwilling to make
a choice between the three, Zeus asks
Paris, son of Trojan King Priam, to decide
instead. Paris chooses Aphrodite, who
rewards him with the most beautiful
woman in the world, Helen, the wife of
the Greek Spartan king Menelaus, whom
he promptly abducts.
The wrath of the Greeks triggered a
10-year war with Troy. They finally
broke through with a cunning plan that
involved the construction of a giant
wooden horse in which they hid a crack
squad. The Greeks pretended to give up
the fight by sailing away, abandoning
their horse, which the Trojans brought
into their city as a victory trophy. That
night the Greek army sailed back under
cover of darkness and entered the city
after their soldiers had crept out of the
horse and opened the city gates. Troy,
said to be one of the most advanced
cities of its age, was totally destroyed.
Written in his hometown of Izmir,
Homer’s dramatic words not only
immortalised the memory of the Trojan
War, believed to have taken place around
1200 BC, but also inspired Hollywood.
Two of its best known films are Helen of
Troy (1956), and Troy (2004), the latter
starring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana. You can
see the giant wooden horse from the
2004 film in Çanakkale city centre.
Çanakkale City
Once famed for its ceramic products
under the Ottomans, Çanakkale now
operates as a marina for tourists and a
small, but busy port for trade. It is home
to some 200,000 inhabitants including
students at the local university. The
old town maintains its charm with its
narrow, cobbled streets and Ottomanera town houses. Its waterside
promenade and nearby wharf remain
lively all year round with numerous
cultural events.
City landmarks include the five-storey
Ottoman Clock Tower, paid for by an
Italian merchant in his will, the local
Kent Museum charting the history
of Çanakkale since Ottoman times,
and the Korfmann Library, housed in
a 19th-century former school in the
old town opposite the Tifli Mosque. It
was the bequest of the late Manfred
Osman Korfmann (1945–2005), a former
archaeological director at Troy, and
contains 6,000 volumes on history,
culture, art and archaeology.
Beaches
It may not be in Turkey’s top 10 beach
holiday destinations, but the Peninsula
does offer plenty of tranquil coves that
are ideal for those after some sea and
sun. It pays to get away from the city
centre, where the sea is often polluted.
A 60 km drive from the city brings you
to Bozcaada – a small island off the
mainland that is accessible by car ferry.
Its Habbele Beach boasts clear blue
water, and the islanders are renowned
for their fishing and the production of
good local wines.
Or embark on a boat from the city centre
and glide across the Dardanelles to
Zargana Beach, located in the foothills
of Kilitbahir (meaning ‘lock of the sea’)
Fortress. The local village provides all
the amenities you would need for a short
stay. Further up on the same stretch of
coast is Kabatepe Kumsalı, which has a
lovely campsite in a forest – the perfect
shaded backdrop for sunny days on the
adjoining sandy beach with its crisp
blue sea. Best avoided during the peak
season of July and August.
Getting there
London to Balikesir/Edremit airport (1.5
hours drive to Çanakkale) with Pegasus
Airlines, £119 one way. Or from Istanbul
by: coach (6 hrs), plane to Çanakkale
airport, or ferry boat (Yenikapı to
Bandırma) and bus (just over 4 hrs).
37
Wellbeing
Losing weight safely this summer
By Feriha İbrahim
Orlistat – a medical jumpstart
for the obese
If your Body Mass Index (weight divided
by height squared) is over 30 and you
are struggling to achieve weight loss
through regular means, you can also
consider trying a medically-approved
diet aid.
Some pharmacists are now authorised
to supply Orlistat under the Weight Loss
Patient Group Directive to those who are
significantly overweight. This medicine,
issued under strict guidelines, can help
you to lose weight by blocking the
enzymes in your gut which digest fat.
Nearly a third of the fat can then pass
out with your stools (faeces).
Summer time means
wearing fewer layers, but
also becoming more bodyconscious. Few people are
blessed with having a high
metabolic rate, allowing
them to burn off whatever
they eat. The vast majority
of us will put on weight if
our intake of daily calories
goes up, while our physical
activity levels remain the
same or go down.
The dangers of fad diets
Whatever the latest diet gurus say,
there is no magic formula for rapid, safe
and permanent weight loss. As many
individuals will testify, paying out for
fad diets will see your weight come back
just as quickly as it fell off, because they
are not sustainable. Indeed, one of the
major worries of following a popular
diet is the negative impact it can have
on your body.
Many people try crash diets, which
can make you ill as you dramatically
decrease your food intake, leaving you
too weak to function normally. Others
exclude entire food types, such as meat
and dairy, or carbohydrates, which
depletes your body of vital minerals and
vitamins, or provides an excess of one
food type, such as saturated fats, which
can increase the risk of heart disease.
38
7 tips for sensible weight-loss
Here are seven simple ways to lose
weight healthily – and keep the
weight off!
1. Eat breakfast! Too many people
skip this vital meal, which deprives
you of good energy at the start
of the day. Research shows
those who eat breakfast are less
likely to be overweight.
The normal dose is one capsule (120
mg), three times a day with each meal.
However, you do not need to take one
if there is no fat in the meal or if you
miss a meal. Many people will also
take multivitamins to compensate for
any nutrients that are lost when the
undigested fat passes through your
system.
2. Cut down on the amount of
fat you eat by trimming the fat
off meat, switching from fullfat to skimmed milk, and using
more low-fat spreads.
3. Swap white rice, bread and pasta
for wholegrain varieties. Wholegrain
takes more time to digest, so
you feel fuller for longer.
4. Have five portions of fruit and
vegetables every day – vary
what you eat to ensure you get a
good mix of nutrients.
5. Ditch sugary drinks for lower calorie
alternatives or, even better, for some
sparkling water with a slice of lemon
– refreshing and good for you!
6. Tempted to snack? Drink some
water or a cup of tea first. Often
we think we are hungry, but our
bodies are merely thirsty. 7. Exercise regularly: aim to do 150
minutes of moderate-to-intense
physical activity each week.
Talk to your local pharmacist, who will
first ask you to complete a form. If you
qualify, you will be set realistic targets for
weight-loss and be regularly monitored.
You will still have to diet and do exercise,
but your body is given a major boost by
Orlistat. Although the medicine doesn’t
work for everyone, four in ten people
who stuck to the guidelines did record a
significant drop in weight.
For more information, visit the Weight
Loss section on NHS Choices online,
which has lots of useful guides, as well
as anecdotal stories about people trying
different ways to lose weight.
About the author: Feriha İbrahim
is a fully-qualified pharmacist who,
together with her family, runs Woodside
Pharmacy – both branches are located in
Leytonstone, London E11.
Ask Yonca Abla
. “Mum-in-law is making life unbearable”
Dear Yonca abla,
My mother-in-law has moved in with us. She lost her husband
a few years back and was feeling vulnerable living on her own.
She also has various health problems. My husband has two
other siblings: one is married to an English lady and relations
are a bit strained there. The other – a sister - is married to a
Türkiyeli and living out there.
I’ve tried talking to my husband, but he doesn’t see most of
what goes on as he is out at work. He thinks I should just
“take a chill pill”. I feel like whacking him one too! Your
advice is needed urgently! I don’t want to give an ultimatum
and force an elderly woman out, but I can’t see how else this
can turn out.
Emine
My dearest Emine,
I’m saddened to hear of the chaos going on in your home life.
Having anyone stay with you long-term will unsettle the home
eventually, let alone a mother-in-law. In small doses, of course
any mother or mother-in-law is fine. Sadly, as your mother-inlaw has nothing going on in her life, she will happily interfere
in yours.
You must stand your ground and bring up your children and
run your house as you please. But please do this tactfully
Stock photo © antikainen
In small doses, my mother-in-law is lovely. But now she is
here, she wants to interfere with everything: how we bring up
the kids, how we cook dinner, the layout of the rooms, how I
look…It is driving me round the bend! I have tried tactfully
pushing back, but she gets upset and then starts to cry.
because, as you are aware, it is a very delicate subject and it
will most certainly come between your husband and you.
I suggest a candle-lit dinner to tell your hubby what’s going
on. Gently explain why you feel it’s important you help get her
re-housed and continue to support her from her own home. If
you do not succeed, tell your husband he is crossing that fine
line and you will not tolerate it!
Good luck!
Yonca abla x
Got a problem? Email [email protected] and she will try to answer.
Naciye Nene’s
Cookbook
Spinach (ıspanak) & meatballs
Preparation:
1. Spinach grows in sandy soil beds and its hollow
stems often retain the soil, so it is vital to wash
the leaves carefully to ensure all the dirt and sand
are removed.
2. First wash: chop off the plant roots, then run your
thumb up the groove of each stem, to open them
out and rinse under warm water. Cut each leaf and
stem into 3 cm long pieces and place all in a big
bowl of clean water.
3. Gently wash the cut spinach as if washing clothes,
turning the leaves over in the water a few times.
Drain the leaves and put in a large high-sided tepsi
(tray). Wash out any dirt in the big bowl and repeat.
4. Boil water and pour over the cleaned spinach
leaves and stems in the tepsi – enough to cover
them - and leave for 4-5 minutes so the leaves
can wilt (it also helps kill off the bitter taste from
any mature leaves).
5. Heat the sunflower oil in a large pan and add in the
finely chopped onion. Fry until soft, then add in the
tomato purée. Mix together.
6. Drain the spinach and add into the pan a
large handful at a time. Cook the leaves over a
medium-high heat.
Prep: 1.5 hours Cooking Time: 2 hours Total Time: 3.5 hours
Currently in season, spinach is a versatile, tasty
and highly nutritious plant that can be found
in numerous Turkish dishes, from soups to
börek. This comforting homemade spinach and
meatball stew is a Naciye Nene speciality.
There
are
numerous
Turkish variations to this
ıspanak dish: many omit
the meatballs and instead
use rice. Naciye Nene opts
for golden brown nuggets
of meat that are nestled
among the lush green
leaf all bobbing on a light
tomato sauce.
Ingredients serves 6:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
5-6 bunches of fresh spinach
500g minced beef
1 x medium onion
5 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp tomato purée
Cumin
Salt, Pepper
When shopping for spinach,
pick bunches that have
crisp, bright green leaves
Sides: Süzme (strained) yogurt
with no yellowing or
Turkish bread
bruised patches, and store
in a plastic bag in a cool
dry space or the refrigerator for a maximum of three days. Prepping
fresh spinach takes considerable time, but you can really taste the
difference between this and frozen or pre-cut spinach.
40
7. When the spinach reduces, add cold water – enough
to cover all. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt.
8. Rinse minced beef under water (to remove any
blood), drain and place in a mixing bowl. Season
the meat with a large pinch of salt, pepper and
cumin, then knead all like dough, so mince binds
together. Take a pinch of mince into palm of hand
and roll into small meatballs – no more than 2cm
in diameter.
9. When all meatballs are done, drop them into the
pan one at a time, starting from the outside edge
forming concentric circles as you work your way
into the centre. If there are still more meatballs to
add in, using the back of a wooden spoon, gently
push down on the existing meatballs, then drop
in the remaining meatballs over the top. Prod all
protruding meatballs so they are immersed in the
tomato stew – even if the bob back up.
10. Cover and simmer over a low heat for an hour.
Check to ensure the pan does not dry out. Add in
half-cup of cold water if so and stir all gently.
11. Serve hot with lashings of thick, creamy süzme
yogurt and hunks of Turkish bread on the side, and
tuck into a delicious, healthy meal
Afiyet olsun!
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Property
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2015. Email CV and covering letter to [email protected]
Professional Services
• Britbuild – all building works
A one-stop-shop with 30 years’ experience in both
commercial & residential building work. Quality services
& solutions for developers, private clients, established
landlords & letting agents. Excellent references
Tel 020 8518 3070.
• M.A.N. Kargo
The perfect delivery service for non-urgent packages
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• Our solicitors’ practice & estate agency have been in
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Providers of delicious, freshly-made Turkish Cypriot food
for the public, trade and events for the last 22 years
er/
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Savour
Jobs
• Customer Service Advisor (multiple positions),
Islamic Relief UK.
Be a part of an international humanitarian aid &
development organisation, & help alleviate the suffering
of the world’s poorest people during this Ramadan. You
would be the first point of contact, providing a high level of
customer care to all our supporters & donors, responsible
for managing the switchboard, taking donations & dealing
with supporter & donor enquiries effectively. Salary:
£6.50 PH (day rate) & £7.50 PH (evening rate, after 6pm).
Temporary Contract (2 months, Flexible long & short shift
work available). Location: London, Waterloo Office (UKHO)
www.islamic-relief.org.uk/about-us/vacancies/
• Intern, Prickly Pear culture & communications agency.
Salary/Hours: travel expenses / full-time (Mon-Fri) for
2 months. Great work experience across all areas of:
researching, planning, media relations, marketing, events
etc with a range of clients. Ideal for a graduate with strong
Köfte
Börek
Pilavuna
Tatlı/
Sweet
Lokma
Sütlü Börek
Şam İşi
Mr Köfte, Arch 80, 880 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1NQ
tel 0207 639 2056 m 07943 197156
41
T-VINE Directory
Emergencies
Embassies (continued)
•
Ambulance + Fire Brigade + Police:
999 / 101 (non-emergency crimes)
Republic of Turkey Embassy
43 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PA
www.london.emb.mfa.gov.tr
T: 020 7393 0202
MKK Services
Electrical, plumbing, DIY,
bathrooms, heating, Peckham
T: 020 7639 0457
•
Mr Kofte
Traditional Turkish Cypriot
sweet & savouries, Peckham
T: 020 7639 2056
•
Legends Gym
Dalston & Harringay branches,
T: 020 7812 9600 / 020 8800 7599
•
Ozcan Jewellers
Exclusive Altınbaş stockists,
Harringay and Waltham Cross
T: 01992 762 146
•
Oval Dry Cleaners
Over 25 years cleaning & repairing
garments, Oval
T: 020 7735 6154
•
Rez’s Barbershop
Top quality gents hair styling and
barbering, Crouch End
T: 020 8372 1576
NHS Direct
24 hours a day, 365 days a year
T: 0845 4647
W: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Airlines
British Airways:
www.britishairways.com
T: 0844 493 0787
Easyjet:
www.easyjet.com
T: 0843 104 5000
Republic of Turkey Consulate
Rutland Lodge, Rutland Gardens,
Knightsbridge, London SW7 1BW
www.turkishconsulate.org.uk
T: 020 7591 6900
T-VINE.COM Directory
Full details online
•
Pegasus:
www.flypgs.com
T: 0845 084 8980
•
Turkish Airlines:
www.turkishairlines.com
T: + 90 212 444 0849/ 0844 800 6666
•
Cyprus Garden
Live music, dinner & dance,
Chingford, T: 020 8527 9892
•
Devran Restaurant
Authentic Turkish cuisine,
Harringay, T: 020 8340 2288
•
Prickly Pear
PR, marketing, media, advertising,
websites, Leyton T: 020 988 7880
•
Digicom Telecom
Business solutions: telephone,
internet, SMS, & more London
T: 020 350 00 450
•
Spotlite Hairdressers
Enjoy the best of British & Turkish
hairdressing, Leyton
T: 020 8539 5146
•
Dreem Studios
Events, portrait, baby, family,
fashion photography & video,
W: dreemstudios.com
•
Stepping Out
Est. 1962, weddings, portraits &
commercial photography, Harringay
T: 020 8800 856
•
Fifth Avenue Shoe Repairers
Renowned shoe repairs & retail
shop, Goodge Street
T: 020 7636 6705
•
•
Fine Printers
Over 20 years experience, Leyton
T: 020 8150 6000
Turkish Cypriot Community
Association
Homecare for the elderly & rooms
for hire (2-150 people), Harringay
T: 020 8826 1080
•
Woodside Pharmacy
Turkish-speaking with over 30 years
service, Leytonstone
T: 020 8556 2502
•
UK Turkish Islamic Trust
Funeral Services
Serving the Turkish community
since 1977, Dalston
T: 020 7249 2244
•
Zek & Co
Friendly personalised accountancy
services, Wood Green
T: 020 8881 8844
Major Airports
Edinburgh:
www.edinburghairport.com
T: 0844 481 8989
London Gatwick:
www.gatwickairport.com
T: 0844 892 0322
London Heathrow:
www.heathrowairport.com
T: 0844 335 1801
London Stansted:
www.stanstedairport.com
T: 0844 335 1803
Luton:
www.london-luton.co.uk
T: +44 (0)1582 405100
Manchester:
www.manchesterairport.co.uk
T: 0871 271 0711
TRNC Representative Office
29 Bedford Square
London WCIB 3ED
T: 020 7631 1920
www.trnclondon.com
Cyprus Meze Bar & Restaurant
Live music, dinner & dance, Leyton
T: 020 8556 5866
•
Gunay Clark & Ryan
Multi-disciplinary law practice,
Newington Green T: 020 7275 7788
•
I&C Memorials
Expert headstone & memorial
sculptors, Tottenham
T: 020 8365 0477 / 07950 257 703
•
Istanbul Travel
Top prices & service. Croydon,
Harringay & Stoke Newington.
W: istanbultravel.co.uk
Embassies
42
Accountancy Direct Plus
More than just accountants
Palmers Green T: 020 8886 9222
Enza Home / Yatas Bedding
as seen on
www.furnitureroad.co.uk
75 Rushey Green
Lewisham
London
SE6 4AF
020 8285 1735