The President of Konsey, the UK’s Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations, is writing to all his members , encouraging them to celebrate national Remembrance Day , November 10th, and the thousands of Turkish Cypriot soldiers who fought for freedom in World War 2 in the Cyprus Regiment. Some 30,000 Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots fought side by side, initially unarmed and unprotected, as they delivered vital ammunition, food and water right up to the front lines, under heavy shellfire. Some Turkish Cypriot troops even won the prestigious Military Medal for bravery, and some died in European Concentration Camps. The Regiment’s only native-born Cypriot Commander was Lieutenant Colonel Faik Muftuzade OBE, Queen’s Medal for Gallantry (1974).
Winston Churchill himself praised the regiment’s bravery when he made a secret wartime visit to the island.
President Nafi writes:” If any of your members had uncles or fathers who fought in the Cyprus Regiment, Navy or RAF, it would reflect pride in the whole Turkish Cypriot Community if they were to celebrate them by attending local borough ceremonies on November, by marching or laying wreaths in their memory.” “It’s a matter of national pride that the only native Cypriot Commander of the Cyprus Regiment was a Turkish Cypriot. And in Wood Green, we shall be remembering our own local hero, soldier Cengiz Azimkar, who was shot by the IRA in Northern Ireland in 2009, while serving with the Royal Engineers. His parents and his regiment will be laying wreaths in his honour on November 10th.”
Seyyare Beyzade, President of TWPA, the Turkish Women’s Philanthropic Association, said this week:
“We have formed our own Turkish Cypriot Remembrance Society, along with a permanent mobile exhibition devoted to Turkish Cypriot heroes, to spread knowledge and respect for our role in World War Two and other conflicts. This November 10, more Turkish Cypriots will march or lay wreaths than ever before, so we are proud to be flag-bearers in this cause.”For full details of how you can celebrate a family member in your local Remembrance parade, please contact the TWPA, telephone 07786 196157, E :seyyare@twpa.co.uk
TWPA President Seyyare Beyzade (left) and CTCA President Kenan Nafi beside a photo of Wood Green hero Patrick Cengiz Azimkar, part of TWPA’s permanent exhibition devoted to the Turkish Cypriot role in World War 2 and other conflicts.