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Londra Gazete, 09 June 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 3

PC Ekrem nominated for the National Police Bravery Awards

IN A Metropolitan Police officer “My colleague went into the and was later sentenced to seven
who was violently attacked with a kitchen to speak to the girlfriend years in prison.
sword but still managed to arrest who’d phoned us, so I thought I’ll PC Ekrem was taken to hospital
the attacker despite being slashed just arrest him and I started say- where he stayed for five days, and
has been nominated for The Na- ing the caution to him. I looked had pins put in his hand. Suffer-
tional Police Bravery Awards. down at my vest to get my hand- ing from ligament damage, nerve
On the evening of 30 Novem- cuffs out and when I look up he’s damage and muscle wastage, he
ber 2020, PC Aksit Ekrem was on jumped out of his seat and he’s couldn’t use his hand and was off
the response team in Dagenham pulled a sword from behind him, work for six months.
when a call came in for him and holding it above his head to strike He also experienced flashbacks
his partner to attend a domestic down at me...” and had to receive counselling.
incident, where a woman had re- PC Erkin then fighters his taser PC Ekrem said it was “amaz-
ported a male in his sixties behav- but missed the man who was mov- ing” to receive the Bravery Award
ing violently. ing towards him with the swords, nomination, even though he felt
PC Ekrem said: “I went into the managing to push the man down he was just doing his job.
living room and there’s this little to the floor and pin him down, He said: “I don’t see myself as a
frail old man sitting in the corner. only then did PC Ekrem see his hero or anything.
He’s just sat at the table and he’s blood hands. I was just doing what I’m sup-
not saying anything, he’s not do- The 62-year-old attacker was posed to do, but it’s nice to get
ing anything. charged with GBH with intent recognition.”

Mustafa Kemal Köksal receives The Day-Mer festival to be held as
his BEM award Clissold Park once again

MUSTAFA Kemal Köksal was provide security there as well. I
awarded the British Empire Med- was getting people to line up for
al (BEM) on April 28, 2021, for vaccinations. On April 28, 2021, THE day-Mer festival, which
his services to the society during I received an e-mail from an insti- has been held online for the last
the corona virus epidemic in Eng- tution belonging to Buckingham two years due to the coronavi-
land. Palace. In the mail, it was written rus pandemic, will once again be
Speaking about the ceremony that I was awarded the British held at Clissold Park.
Köksal said, “I was proud when I Royal Medal of Honor (BEM). At This year the 33rd Day-Mer
received the medal. I cried with first I didn't believe it, I thought Culture and Art Festival will
joy. Because this is not possible it was a joke or something. Then which enables Turkish-Kurdish
for everyone,” I called the phone number in the workers to meet with local and
With the onset of the Covoran- e-mail. I realized it was real.” migrant workers through culture
virus pandemic offering his help Saying that he was called by the and art, will consist of various
to the NHS as a volunteer Köksal, London Ambassador after receiv- activities such as reception, pic-
downloaded a application estab- ing the medal, Köksal said that nic, panels, end-of-season course
lished for the elderly and disbale event, theatre screening and
people who could not go out due Queen Elizabeth also invited him painting. .
to the pandemic and set about to the garden party. Köksal said, On Sunday, July 3, the festival
meet the needs of people asking “Ambassador Ümit Yalçın called program will end with the annu-
for help. and congratulated me for receiv- al park festival with artists such
Explain that every bit of his free ing a medal. He said he wanted to as; Mikail Aslan & Cemil Qoc-
time was dedicated to helping his meet me. I went to visit him with giri, Oğuz Aksaç, The Turbans,
local community: “When I was my medal. I was very close to the Lokandes and The Odd Beat
not working, I was shopping for embassy. On May 11, Queen Eliz- taking part. Speakers in the fes-
people in need and taking their abeth invited me to a garden par- tival will also included; Hackney
medicines from addresses close ty at Buckingham Palace. I went Mayor Philip Glanville, Labour Ercüment Akdeniz, Delia Mattis and John Rees from People's As-
to me through the application. there for 10 days and came back Party (Emek Partisi) Chairman on behalf of Black Lives Matter sembly.
I did this for a long time. Then on March 6th. It was such beauti-
the corona virus vaccine appli- ful and special moments for me,”
cation started. I was assigned to he said.
Happy Student application competes

for the "Best Entrepreneurship" award

ARAM Tufan, 26, from Batman, graduated from the University of
has developed the HAPPY Student Westminster in 2020/21. He devel-
application, which has now reached oped Happy Student, an online plat-
the finals of the Best Entrepre- form available in multiple languages
neurship competition organized for 250 million potential students
by Santander Bank, Europe's third worldwide. Currently used by for-
largest bank. eign students studying in the UK,
The Happy Student application, the app offers students discounted
developed by Tufan, who graduated
from Westminster University, and museum exhibits, theatre, concerts,
used in England, targets students historical sites and affordable ho-
who move to a city far from their tels. Apple, Amazon, Golder Tours,
home for higher education. Voting Love Theater, YHA, Blinkist, Stu-
for the winner of the competition dent Art Pass are among the com-
continues online. panies that offer opportunities to
Born in Batman in 1996, Tufan students through the application.