Wednesday 6 January 2016

T-VINE’s biggest stories of 2015

Hellim Wars was our top story of 2015, as traditional cheese became the new political battleground in Cyprus
NEWS/FEATURES
  
In the year that was 2015, here are the T-VINE stories that grabbed the most attention: the ten best read stories of the year and the ten most popular stories on our social media pages on account of the number of shares, likes, comments and retweets they received.

T-VINE's 10 most read stories of the year

  1. Hellim Wars 
    8 October 2015. It could have been the perfect recipe to bring the two sides together, but when Greek Cypriots made a unilateral application to secure protected status for traditional Cypriot cheese, deliberately excluding Turkish Cypriot producers in the process, the hellim/halloumi issue turned into a political battleground. The EU Commission intervened but was it enough to make the peace? READ FEATURE HERE
  1. Are you ready for the ‘Turkashians’? Turkish family in London needed for new mini TV series 
    2 March 2015. By far our biggest story online, who would have thought so many British Turks would flirt with the idea of being in a reality show. “If you’ve ever watched TV reality show, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and thought “my family could better that”, well here’s your chance! Muge Productions is looking for a Turkish family in London to feature in six 3-minute episodes that will be presented for airing on Channel 4 Shorts...” READ FULL STORY HERE

  1. ‘Three quarters of Maraş (Varosha) illegally occupied by Greek Cypriots’ claims former Evkaf head 
    28 February 2015. “A series of conferences in London by Taner Derviş, the former head of Evkaf, last month has turned on its head all perceptions about the ownership of the Cypriot town of Maraş. Among the many bold claims Derviş made were that Evkaf land was never sold by Turkish Cypriots to the British and evidence gleaned from title deeds “prove” that Turkish-owned property was “illegally transferred” to mostly Greek Cypriot owners while the island was under British rule.” READ FEATURE HERE 

Touker Suleyman - one of the BBC's new Dragons
  1. Turkish Cypriot entrepreneur Touker Suleyman joins BBC TV show Dragons' Den 
    19 March 2015. Our readers went wild about the news that Turkish Cypriot businessman was joining Dragon’s Den as one of three new Dragon’s, making it not only our third most popular story, but also the third most shared of 2015. READ FULL STORY HERE


  2. Satire magazine mocks President Erdoğan’s comments that he’s less of a sultan, more like...
    10 February 2015. “President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been morphed into Queen Elizabeth II on the front cover of this month’s Red Dergisi. It follows claims by the President that the UK was a good example for his publicly stated aim of turning Turkey from a Parliamentary into a Presidential system of governance”. READ FULL STORY HERE
     
  1. Former chair Zehra Suleyman found guilty of stealing from Blackfen Turkish School 
    12 August 2015. The British Turkish community was shocked to learn that a trusted head of a Turkish school had been caught with their hand in the till. While others would bury their head in the sand, Blackfen Turkish School’s management committee followed through to secure a conviction.“A former chairwoman of one of London’s biggest Turkish schools has been convicted of stealing £1,965. Zehra Suleyman, who headed Blackfen Turkish School for six years, was tried at the Inner London Crown Court in July and found guilty of two charges of theft from the school during 2010 and 2011...” READ FULL STORY HERE

  1. Turkey's guarantee of Turkish Cypriot safety is "non-negotiable" warns former Chief Negotiator 
    2 August 2015. Ergün Olgun, a former Denktas aide and one of the architects of the 2004 UN-backed Annan Plan, struck a chord with his comments on Turkey’s role in Cyprus. “Former TRNC Chief Negotiator Ergün Olgun says that only when Turkey enters the European Union and the situation stabilises can there be any change in the guarantee structure for the whole island. Greece, Turkey and the UK are all still Guarantor Powers under the 1960 Independence Treaty.” READ FULL STORY HERE

Havva Rebke (left) & Ebru Ellis Gursoy on The X Factor 2015
  1. Ebru sails through to bootcamp on the X Factor 2015 
    12 September 2015. “A London Turkish singer wowed all four judges during the second week of auditions on this year's X Factor to book her place in bootcamp. Appearing on the 6th September show, 27-year-old Ebru Gursoy’s rendition of David Guetta and Emelie Sande’s What I Did For Love received a standing ovation from the audience.” READ FULL STORY HERE
     

  1. Pioneering Turkey-TRNC water pipeline is complete 
    9 August 2015. This innovative feat of engineering was our ninth best read story in 2015: “never before has water been carried for such a distance using a suspended underwater pipeline”. READ FULL STORY HERE


  1. Ali Babutsa’s daughter Havva is through to the next round of The X Factor 
    19 September 2015. A chip of the old block or what? Following in her father’s footsteps, who was on our 2014 Top 10 list of the biggest stories, 2015 was all about Havva. “Havva Rebke, the oldest daughter of well-known Turkish singer Ali ‘Babutsa’ Sönmez, has made it through to this year’s bootcamp on ITV’s hit show The X Factor. The 21-year-old was put through with ‘yes’ votes from all four judges following her audition singing Jessie J’s Masterpiece.” READ FULL STORY HERE 

Our 10 most popular stories on social media in 2015

 Teacher İzzettin Çevik  cradles his wife after the blast, where he lost his daughter & sister. Photo: Reuters


  1. #‎Ankaradayiz
    10 October 2015. Our response to the horrific bombing of a peace rally in Ankara in October became our most shared story of 2015. SEE HERE

  1. Hande Yener live at the HMV Forum 
    8 May 2015. When Hande Yener re-tweeted our story, it went huge! Sadly the concert never took place – let’s hope Turkey’s pop princess makes an appearance in London in 2016. READ STORY HERE


  1. Turkish Cypriot entrepreneur Touker Suleyman joins BBC TV show Dragons' Den19 March 2015. Our fifth best-read story was also the third most virally shared. READ STORY HERE 
  1. Murdered Turkish Cypriots Hasan Nural Cevdet Ezel and Özel Reşat Kansoy laid to rest after 52 years
    15 December 2015. A bitter-sweet moment as the remains of Turkish Cypriots, missing for over half-a-century, are returned to their families. Photo (above) is of Özel & Ülker Kansoy, who married in 1960. Their first child had just been born when Özel was abducted and killed. READ STORY HERE 


  2. We Remember: Battle of Gallipoli 
    25 April 2015. Posted on the centenary anniversary of the start of the land campaign at Çanakkale/Gallippoli with the immortal words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk about the “Johnnies and the Mehmets”. READ STORY HERE

  1. Turning 20: Turkey’s psychedelic kings BaBa ZuLa on their musical idols, best gigs & ambition to play...
    16 November 2015. They are one of Turkey's coolest bands. Here's our interview with frontman Murat Ertel in advance of their sensational London gig. READ STORY HERE

  1. Satire magazine mocks President Erdoğan...
    10 February 2015. Oh how we loved Red Magazine’s front cover of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan morphing into the British Queen, which went viral as soon as we posted it. READ STORY HERE
  1. Levent Büyükuğur on Frescobaldi and his never-ending Italian love affair 
    30 June 2015. Credited with revolutionising Istanbul’s nightlife and restaurant scene – his diners and clubs include Changa, Lucca, Kitchenette and Angelique – Levent Büyükuğur now has London firmly in his sights. READ STORY HERE   


  1. Review: an exquisite evening with Emre Aracı as we 'waltzed with Sultans' 
    6 December 2015. Transported to a bygone era of elegant balls along the banks of the Bosphorus when the Ottoman sultans listened to and composed European classical music. READ STORY HERE 
     
    Dr Emre Araci leads the Chamber Ensemble of London


  1. The Water Diviner: Russell Crowe's big-hearted movie the "perfect tribute for the Gallipoli centenary"
    30 April 2015. 
    Russell Crowe’s award-winning directorial debut about an Australian father who goes in search of his three sons missing in action in Gallipoli 1915 was not only filmed in Turkey, but also featured two leading Turkish actors – Cem Yılmaz and Yılmaz Erdoğan – guaranteeing Turkish interest.READ STORY HERE


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