London Premiere of the UNSEEN Documentary Held

The London premiere of UNSEEN: The Athletes of Northern Cyprus, a documentary about the sporting isolation faced by Turkish Cypriot athletes, was held last night at The Soho Hotel in London. According to information provided by Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus, the event was attended by Turkey's Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Koray Ertaş, and the KKTC's London Representative, Aysan Mullahasan Atılgan, as well as journalists, social media personalities, municipal council members and representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community in England.

The documentary was directed by Afzal Choudhury of NoPlayBook, hosted by Mert Ahmet and executive produced by Eren Ramadan. It was made by the team behind OFFSIDE and DISPLACED, with the support of the Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus campaign. The one-hour film features 21 participants from the disciplines of athletics, tennis, boxing, basketball, volleyball, wheelchair basketball, open water swimming, drifting and football. The team said it is the largest cast the group has worked with to date.

The film tells the stories of athletes who were born and raised in Northern Cyprus but were barred from competitions solely because of their place of birth, had their visa applications rejected and were turned away from tournaments. The documentary also sheds light on the many Turkish Cypriot athletes who, unable to compete for their own country, have competed while representing Türkiye or other nations.

Speaking at the premiere, executive producer Eren Ramadan said, "UNSEEN came about because we kept hearing the same story again and again after OFFSIDE." Ramadan noted that talented Turkish Cypriot athletes train just as hard as athletes elsewhere in the world, yet they are told that this work "means nothing." He also recalled that a Barcelona football academy camp for children, organised recently in Northern Cyprus, was cancelled under pressure from Greek Cypriot authorities. Ramadan added, "These athletes are not invisible because they lack talent. They are invisible because the world has chosen not to look at them."

Following the screening, a question and answer session with the film team and a welcome reception were held.