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Londra Gazete, 05 May 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 3

Thousands celebrated International

Workers' Day in London

THE Labour Day parade has been
celebrated in the capital London
since 1880. This year on Sunday
May 1, thousands gathered across
the capital and at Trafalgar Square
including organisations and mem-
bers of the Turkish Speaking Com-
munities living in London. The
participants walked the streets with
CTCA elects Fahri Zihni as new Chair holding banners and flags, chanted
slogans protesting the legal restric-
THE Council of Turkish Cypriot Osman who took over from Ertuğrul tions on unions, the NHS, social aid
Associations (CTCA) held its Annual Mehmet in 2021 after he stepped cuts and the cost of living. The march,
General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday down before completing his term which also included association such
may 1st where its members elected in full. Last year CTCA appointed as the Turkish Kurdish Communi-
Fahri Zihni as its new chair. Osman as chair following a decision ty Solidarity Center (Day-Mer) and
15 member associations and that the association wouldn’t be able the British Alevi Federation (BAF),
schools along with six former chairs to hold its AGM due to the pandemic. ended in Trafalgar Square. The May
attended the AGM. The board of This year members were able to celebrations came to an end after
directors for the council Dr Özkan gather together once again and cast the speeches made on behalf of the
Hıfzı, Zeka Aksancak and Elif Gelir- their votes in person, in a tight result March Organizing Committee and
li undertook the secretariat. After a Zihni was elected with 25 votes, sur- other institutions. A public bank hol-
moment of silence and the National passing Osman by only one vote, go iday in the United Kingdom known
Anthem, Ayşe Osman read the an- on to be CTCA’s 14th Chair. as May Day was created in 1978 and
nual report. Then the secretary of Osman thanked the Board of Di- is held on the first Monday in May
the cashier read the financial report rectors of the Past Presidents for each year. There are many tradition-
and submitted it to the votes of the their devoted work and support over al May Day rites and celebrations,
members. the past year, and wished the new some of which have been held for
Members voted between Fahri President and the Board of Directors hundreds of years. However, it was
Zihni and former CTCA chair Ayşe successful work. not until the late 20th century that
May Day in UK became linked to In-
ternational Workers' Day.
Talented chef Meliz Cooks was a

guest on ITV’s This Morning CTCA: We’re saddened and shocked

MELIZ Berg, a talented self- Growing up in a house where her by Evkaf decision
taught chef, was the guest of the family combines both traditional
"This Morning" program broadcast Cypriot and multicultural London
on ITV on Tuesday, May 3rd. Mel- life, Meliz managed to reach thou- after spending £400,000 on refur-
iz, was a guest of the live broadcast sands of followers on social media bishing the property.
on ITV’s This Morning program to platforms in a short time. New elected CTCA Chair Fahri
share her recipe of hummus with Zihni in a press statement said: “We
the audience. Meliz studied Music at the Mas- are dismayed and disappointed that
The Turkish Cypriot cook, known ter's Level, taught at secondary our report was ignored, and the de-
as 'Meliz Cooks' shared with her school for eight years, and then cision was taken by Evkaf to turn it
110,000 followers pictures with started a recipe blog documenting into a building which serves its own
the hosts saying "What a wonder- the traditional Cypriot dishes she purposes rather than the young chil-
ful Tuesday morning it has been! A introduced to her after the birth of dren, the youth, the elderly and the
big thank you to the This Morning her first child. After taking a break needy Turkish Cypriots of London”
team, Holly Willoughby and Philip from teaching, Meliz decided to Saying that CTCA had made en-
Schofield, for making me feel so wel- pursue her passion for food and the quiries regarding the property and
come and courteous! I am so happy! blog turned into a very successful only in February of this year were
And unfortunately I forgot to take a Meliz Cooks Instagram page where they informed about the plans for
picture of the finished dish.” her recipes are cooked and shared the building, adding that recent in-
by her followers from all over the quiries regarding the prospective
world. tenants and rental income for new
Meliz has gained a supportive accessible space “have also been ig-
following for its dazzling, colorful, nored.”
easy-to-follow recipes, addictive “This building was bought by the
combinations of flavors and spices, IN a statement the Council to Northern Cyprus institutions and hard-earned money of ordinary Brit-
sympathetically highlighting the of Turkish Cypriot Associations private sector organizations despite ish Turkish Cypriots and assistance
melting pot of fine cuisines seen in (CTCA) have expressed their sadness the objections of the Turkish Cypriot from the Turkish Government half a
Cyprus from the Mediterranean, over the historical community centre community in the UK. century ago. The only reason it was
the Balkans and the Middle East in being leased to other institutions by In an statement Evkaf announced assigned to the Evkaf in Lefkosa was
Cyprus. Her recipes have been fea- the the Evkaf Administration of Cy- that the building commercial income to ensure that it could not be sold for
tured in Co-Op Food and Asda Good prus (Evkaf). private profit. The terms of the Vakif
Living Magazine, as well as Good A building located in the hart of “ from the property to create new ac- made it quite clear that the develop-
Homes and the Guardian, and she the capital, which has been home cessible spaces for UK-based Turkish ment and management of the build-
regularly works as a recipe develop- to the Turkish Cypriot diaspora for Cypriot community groups involved ing were by the UK community, for
er and campaigner for Sainsbury’s. over half a century, has been leased in education, culture, and welfare” the UK community”.