THE Queen’s Birthday honours list for 2020 recognises the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people. Unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic make up almost a third of birthday list.
With the list demonstrates the width of service given by people from all backgrounds from all across the UK. Normally published in June this year’s list was pushed back due to the Coronavirus pandemic, with the government wanting to commemorate the astonishing community work seen during the crisis
Of the 1,495 people who received an award, 1,358 candidates have been selected at BEM, MBE and OBE level of this 72% of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity.
This year’s list also is made up of 49% of women and 13% of the successful candidates come from a BAME background while 6% of candidates consider themselves to have a disability.
In this year list announced on Friday 9 October, four award winners are of a Turkish background
Mustafa Kemal Köksal
Mustafa Kemal Köksal received BEM for his services to society during the coronavirus epidemic. As an NHS volunteer, 63-year-old Köksal provided uninterrupted service for two months. Köksal helped fetch shopping or collect prescriptions for elderly and disabled people in York.
Köksal, a York-based First Bus supervisor, served the NHS every day during a two-month absence. It was stated that he volunteered for 750 hours in just one month.
Celal Izicibayadar
Celal Izicibayadar was also awarded BEM. The UK Head of Turkish Scouting has been recognized for many years for his volunteer service and especially for “scouting in the Turkish Cypriot community in the UK”. The veteran scout leader, who entered in June at the age of 80, has been involved in the scouting movement almost his entire life.
Izcibayar joined a local scout group in Cyprus was only 8 years old, when Cyprus was under British colonial rule. He came to England, the birthplace of scouting, in 1984 and immediately decided to establish a Turkish scout group. Britain created awareness of scouting among Turkish living communities.
Ayşe Funda Veli
Ayşe Funda Veli, a Turkish Cypriot living in London, was awarded a BME for her political service. Veli was former Labour leader’s Jeremy Corbyn’s diary manager Ayse Funda Veli between 2016-2020.
Veli is now Private Secretary to Angela Rayner, the Shadow First Secretary of State and also the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
Erdem Moralıoğlu
Fashion designer Erdem Moralıoğlu was awarded the MBE award for his services to fashion. The 43-year-old designer born in Canada, to a Turkish father and English mother, is the founder of the “Erdem Label” brand and is well known by celebrities.
Having entered the fashion market in 2005, Moralıoğlu is now sold in more than 170 retailers, including Barneys, Selfridges and Le Bon Marche. Moralıoğlu has its main store in London’s Mayfair district and another store on Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.
