A religious ceremony of remembrance was held last Thursday night for the two Turkish Cypriot leaders Rauf Denktaş and Fazıl Küçük.
Community leaders turn out at event to mark launch of authorised biography (Photo: Nefise Hussein)
The mawlid and ceremony at the Regency Banqueting Suite in Tottenham also saw the launch of a biography of Denktaş by the teacher Yvonne Çerkez.
Also in attendance was Oya Tuncalı, the Turkish Cypriot representative in North London, and Aysın Yılmaz, head of the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations.
The event was billed as an opportunity for members of the community to pay their respects and remember both leaders as Hoca’s Husayn Hashim El Bakayi and Muhedtin Aydin both read verses from the Quran.
The prominent Turkish Cypriot hodja Husayn Hashim El Bakayi used the occasion to express his thanks to the Turkish Cypriot public. He said: “my thanks to all those who attended the memorial prayer service in memory of our late leaders Dr Küçük and Rauf Denktaş and our aim must be to bring unity to our community.”
The biography was then presented to the visitors by Ms Çerkez and its promoter, Fevzi Hussein. Excerpts from the book are to be serialised in Londra Gazete for the next few issues, starting this week with a dramatic episode from 1963.
Also speaking during the event was Tevfik Zekai, head of the North London Turkish İslam Foundation, and Arife Retvan, of the Turkish Cypriots Limassol Association.
Yvonne Çerkez with her authorised biography of Rauf Denktaş (Photo: Nefise Hussein)