THE Turkish Cypriot Cultural Association(TCCA) in Hackney marked its 45th year with a tree-planting activity
On Friday 10 March members of the association and representatives from Hackney Council joined together to celebrate the millstone.
In a statement, TCCA said “We would like to thank everyone for standing by us, literally and metaphorically. We finally have our own tree which you can see during your visits to the park; you can even taste its fruits in the years to come. In a few months, we will install a bench across our tree; you can sit on it and have a rest or read your book while enjoying the view.” They also thanked the council officers to help make the day possible.
This activity is part of the “Turkish Cypriots in London” Heritage Project, which has been in progress since June 2022. Gulnur Salih is the project coordinator and Papatya Alkan-Genca works as the project officer.
The loquat tree was selected both because it is quite widespread in Northern Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots’ gardens in the UK and also it symbolises “endurance and luck,” – the former representing the hardships Turkish Cypriots have faced, the latter emphasising the luck brought by a “newfoundland” which is the UK and London in general and Hackney in particular.