10 Most Famous Turkish Cypriots

Although Northern Cyprus is a small country in terms of population and territory, it is rich in talent. Here are famous people who are Turkish Cypriots, born in the TRNC or have North Cypriot roots.

Celebrities with roots from the TRNC

• Halil Ozsan
• Kem Cetinay
• Erol Alkan
• Rhian Brewster
• Fatima Whitbread
• Okan Ersan
• Tamer Hassan
• Tracey Emin
• Hussein Chalayan
• Muzzy Izzet

You can read about all these people at least in the English Wikipedia, some have articles even in the Russian version, and three have been awarded the Order of the British Empire. We will briefly tell you about them.

Halil Ozsan (Halil Özşan)

Halil Ozsan was born in Famagusta and is a well-known American actor who has appeared in many TV series, including the roles of Todd Carr in "Dawson's Creek," Miles Cannon in "90210," and Michael Cassidy in "Kyle XY." Most recently, he played the role of Ryan Porter in the series "NCIS: New Orleans."

Kem Cetinay (Kem Cetinay)

Kem Cetinay is known for winning the hit TV series "Love Island" in 2017 with Amber Davies. He also had a hit single with the song "Little Bit Leave It," which reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. He has also appeared in various TV shows, including as a contestant on "Dancing on Ice" in 2018.

Erol Alkan (Erol Alkan)

Erol is a DJ and producer of Turkish Cypriot origin who has been active on the music scene since 1993 when he debuted at Leicester Square. Subsequently, he opened the very successful nightclub Trash, was a resident of Fabric and London's XOYO, repeatedly won "DJ of the Year" awards, and regularly hosted radio shows on BBC’s 6Music.

Rhian Brewster (Rhian Brewster)

A native of London, whose mother is a Turkish Cypriot, Rhian has made a very successful football career: in his youth, he played for "Chelsea" and "Liverpool," and in 2017 he moved to the Premier League. He has played for "Liverpool," "Swansea City" (on loan), and now plays for "Sheffield United."

Fatima Whitbread (Fatima Whitbread)

Born Fatima Vedad, probably the most famous of the Turkish Cypriot celebrities, is the legendary javelin thrower who won two Olympic medals. In 1986, she broke the world record in javelin throw, throwing it 77.44 m, and to this day is one of only two women in history to have thrown the old model javelin over 75 m. She was awarded the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire.

Okan Ersan (Okan Ersan)

Okan is a Cypriot-Turkish jazz fusion guitarist, recording artist, and composer. He was ranked among the top five guitarists of 2003 by the British magazine Guitarist and has released 3 studio albums. Ersan believes that music is the best way to experience the sorrows and joys of life, and has dedicated his life to playing the guitar and creating music.

Tamer Hassan (Tamer Hassan)

Tamer Hassan is an actor of Turkish Cypriot origin, best known for his role as Fred in the movie "The Football Factory," where he starred alongside Danny Dyer. He also played the role of a Dothraki warrior in "Game of Thrones" and has had roles in films such as "Batman Begins," "The Business," "Clash of the Titans," and "Robot Overlords."

Tracey Emin (Tracey Emin)

Tracey Emin is a famous English artist known for her diverse works in various art forms. In 1999, she was shortlisted for the Turner Prize for her work "My Bed," which was exhibited at the Tate Gallery and sold at auction for more than 2.5 million pounds sterling. In 2013, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to the arts.

Hussein Chalayan (Hussein Chalayan)

Hussein is a Turkish Cypriot and British fashion designer who has twice won the "British Designer of the Year" award and was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2006. In 2014, he became the head of the fashion department at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and now teaches clothing design at the Berlin Institute of Technology and Economics in Germany.

Muzzy Izzet (Muzzy Izzet)

Mustafa Kemal "Muzzy" Izzet is a former footballer of Turkish Cypriot origin who came to the UK as a child. During his 16-year career as a midfielder, Muzzy played for "Chelsea," "Leicester City," and "Birmingham City." He also made several appearances as a midfielder for the Turkish national team. He now runs a football academy together with his former teammate Steve Walsh.

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