Ramadan Güney
Ramadan Güney in later life
Born18 February 1932
Paphos, British Cyprus
Died2 November 2006(2006-11-02) (aged 74)
North Cyprus
NationalityBritish, Turkish Cypriot
SpouseSüheyla Güney

Ramadan Güney (18 February 1932 – 2 November 2006) was a British-Turkish Cypriot businessman and politician. He was the owner of Brookwood Cemetery, the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom, with the aim of establishing a Turkish cemetery.[1][2] Güney was also the founder and chairman of the UK Turkish Islamic Trust and had established the first Turkish mosque in London, Shacklewell Lane Mosque, in 1977.[3][4]

He was also a founding member of the VOLKAN organisation in Cyprus, established in the 1950s as part of the struggle against the Greek Cypriot nationalists, EOKA. He was in later years a Member of Parliament and presidential candidate in Northern Cyprus.[5]

Life

Güney's mausoleum in Brookwood Cemetery

Güney was born in Paphos, Cyprus in 1932 to Turkish Cypriot parents.[5] After leaving school, he served in the British Army and police on the island. However, in 1955, with the rise of EOKA Greek Cypriots fought a violent campaign for the end of British rule as well as for union with Greece (enosis); Güney fought against this by becoming a founding member of the Volkan organisation.[5] In 1958 he emigrated to Britain where he set up a music publishing business and became a millionaire at the age of 35.[6] In 1977 he helped found and run the first Turkish Cypriot mosque in London, called the Shacklewell Lane Mosque, and worked on a variety of social and community projects, arising from his work with the UK Turkish Islamic Centre.[3]

He acquired Brookwood Cemetery in 1985, the purchase evolving from Güney's role as Chairman of the UK Turkish Islamic Trust, which wanted suitable burial facilities for its members.[3]

In 1990 he stood guarantor for £1m for the bail of Asil Nadir,[7] who was accused and eventually convicted of theft in his role as the chief executive of Polly Peck, a British textile company. [8] Nadir eventually fled, but the courts ruled that Güney was not liable to pay the £1m because bail had not technically been renewed; it also turned out that Güney had warned the Serious Fraud Office in advance of his concerns that Nadir might flee.[7]

He died at the age of 74 in Northern Cyprus. Following a service at his mosque in London, he was buried in his family vault at Brookwood Cemetery on Friday 10 November 2006.[3]

Personal life

Güney was married to Süheyla Güney who died in 1992.[9] They had two sons and four daughters from this marriage.[3]

Diane Holliday was Güney's partner of 6 years before his death.[10] In 2011, the inheritance of the cemetery was successfully challenged by Diane Holliday and her adult son from a previous marriage, Kevin.[11]

References

  1. ↑ London Evening Standard. "Son's anger as court awards his father's fortune to ex lover". Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  2. ↑ Ansari, Humayun (2007), "'Burying the dead': making Muslim space in Britain", Historical Research, Blackwell Publishing, 80 (210): 563, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2281.2007.00432.x
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Brookwood Cemetery. "Ramadan H. Guney: 1932-2006". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  4. ↑ Çoştu, Yakup (2004), "Londra'da Türklere Ait Dini Organizasyonlar" (PDF), Hitit Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, Hitit University, 8 (16): 87, archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2012
  5. 1 2 3 Milliyet. "'Mezar kralı Türk' öldü". Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  6. ↑ Acik Gazete. "Ramadan Güney'in davası Eylül'de". Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  7. 1 2 Pratley, Nils; Smith, Helena (3 September 2003). "Lonely and marooned, tycoon risks a long stretch in prison". Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2023. The court of appeal ruled that the Turkish-Cypriot businessman Ramadan Guney, who had provided £1m of the £3.5m bail money, should not by forced to forfeit the cash.
  8. ↑ "Asil Nadir found guilty". Serious Fraud Office press releases. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  9. ↑ Musa & Ors v Holliday & Ors (2012) EWCA Civ 1268
  10. ↑ Musa & Ors v Holliday & Ors (2012) EWCA Civ 1268
  11. ↑ Joe Finnerty (14 October 2012). "Brookwood Cemetery dispute finally resolved". getsurrey.


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