Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou awards 50 prizes for building Cypriot bi-communal co-operation 2016

30 September 2020
Stelios Cyprus Awards

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou will be granting on Tuesday October 25, 2016, at 9.30am, 50 cash prizes of €10,000 at Chateau Status in Nicosia to Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots as an endeavor to consolidate the island’s bi-communal relations. The Stelios Bi-Communal Award Ceremony will be held in the presence of President Nicos Anastasiades.

Tomorrow, at Nicosia, Sir Stelios will host a dinner for the 430 Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots who have expressed their interest for the competition.

The total amount for this year’s awards is greater than ever after Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou will be offering for the first time €500.000, rewarding a total of 50 teams that can win €10.000 each, with a total amount of two million euros been awarded since 2009. All forms of human cooperation between Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots are eligible for the grand prize, including business, sciences, arts, sport, NGO work and life!

During the dinner and ceremony, ten teams among the winners will talk about their bi – communal cooperation, when and how they met and their plans for the future.

Past Applicants

1.      Olga Demetriou & Murat Ilican: Developing of an urban natural vegetable garden. They know each other for 20 years now. Olga and Murat are developing an urban natural vegetable garden in an own plot in Kaimakli.

2.      Paul Costeas & Övgü Once: Bi-communal donor campaigns: 2nd year winners. They cooperate since 2002. The two foundations (Karaiskakio and Kemal Saracoglu) organize and run bi-communal donor campaigns.

3.      Larkos Larkou & Hatice Ardost: Married couple and musicians: 2nd year winners. They met in 2014. Larkos and Hatice recently had their first child together.

4.      Natalie Neophytou & Nihat Agdac: Bi-communal chamber orchestra: 2nd year applicants. They know each other since 2009. Nihat and Natalie are the directors of the Cyprus Chamber Orchestra. A chamber orchestra consisting all professional artists in Cyprus from both sides.

5.      Vangelis Eleftheriou & Gunce Kozal: Obstacle runs across Cyprus countryside: 4th year in row applicants. They know each other since 2012. Vangelis and Gunce will organise a series of obstacle runs in both sides countryside.

New Applicants

6.      Antigoni Kyriakidou & Mehmet Yiğiter: Cyprus Accordion Association: Antigoni and Mehmet met two years ago. The Cyprus Accordion Association organise common concerts with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot accordion players.

7.      Sotiris Antoniou & Kutret Balcı: Honey producers: Long time family friends. Both professional honey makers. Their aim is to create a Cypriot Queen Bee instead of importing queen bees from abroad.

8.      Michalis Tsiknakis & Tanur Sertuglu: Married couple: Partners in Life. Michalis and Tanur met in 2014 and got married this year.

9.      Rita Severis & Gulden Plumer Kuchuk: Bicommunal museum: Rita and Gulden know each other since 2002. They run the first ever bicommunal museum in Cyprus. 

10. Antouanetta Katsioloudi & Belgin Demirel: Raising funds for programs for disabled people: They know each other for more than 10 years now. Together, they raise funds for severely disabled people from both communities.

The list of 50 winning bi-communal teams

In no particular order

  1. Chara Savvidou, Neshe Yashin – Exhibition and Poetry Book in Greek and Turkish
  2. Harris Kafkarides, Yasar Ersoy – A web page & book which records the 30 collaborating years of Satiriko & Belediye theatre
  3. Costas Kafkarides, Aliye Ummanel – Joint theatre events
  4. Natalie Neophytou, Nihat Agdac – Bi-communal chamber orchestra
  5. Vasilis Htisti, Zafer Biler – Joint restaurant in the North
  6. Marios Nicolaou, Vasvi Ciftcioglu – Souvenir postcards made with recycled paper
  7. Yiannis Papadikos, Tibet Nidai – Fish merchants
  8. Konstantinos Ahniotis, Nahide Merlen – Bi-communal children’s book
  9. Michael Theodorou, Niyazi Kizilyurek – Turkish translation of GC poet’s Vasilis Michaelides work
  10. Socrates Stratis, Esra Can Akbil – Bi-communal team of architects/designers for the reconstruction of Famagusta after the solution
  11. Gaston Neocleous, Tuncer Huseyin Bagiskan – Social, cultural and entertaining activities island wide
  12. Angeliki Yiassemides, Mehves Beyidoglu Onen – Trilingual primary school
  13. Sotia Adamidou, Simge Kahvecioglu Zekican – The Cyprus Friendship Program (8 years) an all volunteer peace building project
  14. Olga Demetriou, Murat Ilican – Developing of an urban natural vegetable garden
  15. Paul Costeas, Övgü Once – Bi-communal donor campaigns
  16. Mike Michael, Sukran Ozerdem Michael – Married couple with a son
  17. Antriani Charalambous, Mehmet Birinci – Couple in life and business partners
  18. Larkos Larkou, Hatice Ardost – Married couple and musicians
  19. Vangelis Eleftheriou, Gunce Kozal – Obstacle runs across Cyprus countryside
  20. Tania Matsouka, Nazo Canitez – Yoga / climbing retreats
  21. Michalis Pantelides, Mustafa Elmas – Tango teachers / classes
  22. Nicolas Costantinou, Ayse Karaoglan – Bi-communal concert (8 musicians)
  23. Panicos Stelikos, Mehmet Gökyiğit – Photography exhibitions island wide
  24. Antigoni Kyriakidou, Mehmet Yiğiter – Cyprus Accordion Association
  25. Argyro Toumazou, Irina Tryfon, Ozgul Ezgin – Confrontation through Art project (visual arts)
  26. Constantinos Kyprianou, Barçın Gökbörü – ‘Music Unites The World’ – Musicians
  27. Anna Prodromou, Sami Özuslu – Documentary ‘Ghost Airport of the Divided Capital City”
  28. Elena Christou, Kadir Yorgancıoğlu – Granite / Marble traders
  29. Sotiris Antoniou, Kutret Balcı – Honey producers
  30. Andreas Louras, Bozdağ Balikçilik – Fish merchants
  31. George Pixios Kyriacou, Mehmet Nasiboğlu – Electrical contractors
  32. Prodromos Prodromou, Mustafa Darbaz – Potato traders
  33. Zenos Lemis, Minhan Sagiroglou – Lawyers and partners with mutual clients on both sides
  34. Anna Marangou, Orhan Tolun – Walks and Talks in historical and archaeological sites
  35. Andreas Christou, Yücem Rasımoğlu – Bi – communal projects (4) in Limassol
  36. Giorgos Georgiou, Nerkis Musa – Publishing of traditional cooking book in both languages
  37. Maro Kyprianou, Mehmet Emin Eminoglu – Bicommunal folkloric dance group
  38. Rita Severis, Gulden Plumer Kuchuk – Bicommunal museum
  39. Elias Pantelides, Mustafa Balcioglu – ‘Acheon Akti Polythematic Museum’ at Karpasi peninsula
  40. Stelios Diamantis, Ramadan Gilanlıoğulları – ‘Kilani Village Expatriates Association’ organisation of local events
  41. Maro Emmanuel, Mehmet Hoca – Activists for the renovation / rebuilding of Ayia Marina village
  42. Marianna Kokota, Duriye Gokcebag – Greek and Turkish language courses
  43. Xenia Loizidou, Serdar Atai – Marine Litter Cyprus – Island wide project for the marine environment
  44. Antouanetta Katsioloudi, Belgin Demirel – Raising funds for programs for disabled people
  45. Michalis Tsiknakis, Tanur Sertuglu – Married couple
  46. Constantinos Hadjichristofi, Ceren Ataker Etci – Married couple
  47. Marilena Evangelou, Cenk Mutluyakalı – Journalists at Politis and Yeniduzen. Both papers are cooperating
  48. Andreas Splash Kyriacou, Uygar Erdim – ‘GeekOtopos’ – Workspace for creative professionals
  49. Larrys Phylactou, Hassan Ejkein – Masters Swimmers (veterans), taking part at swimming competitions in Cyprus and abroad
  50. Antonis Hajiroussos, Özgür Tahiroğlu – Sustainable tourism at Kormakitis village

Online Media Coverage in Greek

24/10/2016 i-eidisi.com
24/10/2016 filoksenos.blogspot.co.uk
24/10/2016 palo.com.cy
24/10/2016 philenews.com
24/10/2016 eurokerdos.com
24/10/2016 cynews.tv
24/10/2016 cyprusnews.eu
24/10/2016 inewscy.com
24/10/2016 like.com.cy 
24/10/2016 politis.com.cy 
24/10/2016 epihirimatiki.com 
24/10/2016 pathyro.com

Media Coverage in English

24/10/2016 goldnews.com.cy
24/10/2016 cyprusbusinessmail.com
24/10/2016 newsincyprus.com

Media Coverage in Turkish

23/10/2016 kibrisgazetesi.com