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Soner Kioufi was born in East Ham, London 1965. Educated in state schools, and worked in several different retail and fast food stores during the early years. He furthered his education and studied art in London, then worked for a while as a potter in Northern Cyprus throughout 1994. Returning to the UK in 1995, he had worked for several companies as a photographic technician.
In 1997, he worked for a major UK travel agent, as a group tour operator and coordinator for Far East groups travelling into Europe, learning IT skills along the way.
Soner Kioufi has been developing websites since 1998, setting up business in 2000. The business was being run on a part-time basis to start with, as Soner worked at The Home Office Immigration & Nationality Directorate from 2003 until 2006.
In 2006 he had set up www.kibkom.com an online Telephone Directory for Northern Cyprus. In 2010 he had developed the Kibkom Forum for North Cypruns ex-pats and was launched in 2012. The forum www.kibkomforum.com had become very successful with six thousand members and achieving well over six million hits per year. Later in 2014 he had launched the North Cyprus Travel app www.kibapp.com which has proved to be an invaluable mobile app for ex-pats and visitors that North Cypus.
In 2014 Soner had launched the North Cyprus online Newspaper "The Kibkom Times" www.kibkomtimes.com which had proved to be very popular but due to other commitments had closed down a year and a half later, still on a back burner for a re-launch in the near future.
The Green Line - Holiday in a warzone - Cyprus 1974
A true story of a family holiday plunged into war, all seen through the eyes of an eight year old child. The short family break was extended to more than three months as they ran from village to village avoiding the fighting during the Cyprus 1974 war.
London born Turkish Cypriot Soner Kioufi has just completed his first book sharing the ordeal which unfolded in front of his eyes when he was taken by his mother to Cyprus in 1974 when war erupted between Greek armed forces and the Turkish army on the island.
“I start off with introducing my seven brothers and sisters living in a three bedroomed London council house, describing the hard times and how we all stuck together whilst our parents were out working long hard hours in order to support us. I write the book as I remember every detail as if it was just yesterday, and I believe I have successfully achieved telling the majority of the story as an eight year old boy.”
Whenever a report from a war-torn area appears on TV, a host of vivid memories flood into Soner Küfi’s mind. Those memories of turmoil, conflict and violence are recounted in this remarkable book.
It is the true story of a brutal war as seen through the eyes of a child.
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In the searingly hot Cyprus summer of 1974, Soner, eight years old and on holiday with his mother and two younger brothers, found himself caught in the middle of a war zone
The family’s idylic paradise on the Mediterranean island was shattered, first the Greek government engineered a coup d’état, then forces from Turkey intervened to protect Turkish-Cypriot interests and people.
As savage fighting engulfed sleepy villages and towns, Soner and his family found themselves at the very forefront of the horror – and wondering if they would ever return to South London.
“Looking back, some of the horrific incidents we witnessed, and the experiences we lived through, seem scarcely credible,” says Soner, whose Turkish-Cypriot father had stayed at home and had no idea what was happening to his family.
“They showed me, at a very early age, what man is capable of in warfare. They also taught me a lot about Cyprus, its history, its people and its troubles.
“I have wanted to commit the story to print for a long time, and I’m glad I now have the opportunity. If I have one wish for The Green Line, it’s that it will enable people to have a deeper understanding of Cyprus, and share the hope I have for the island’s future.”
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Kibkom Forum - North Cyprus English Speaking Forum
www.kibkom.com
Kibkom - North Cyprus Business Directory
Kibkom KibApp - Mobile App
Kibkom Times - Online Newspaper
Number 10 Downing Street
On 21st Mar 2005, Soner had a meeting at Number 10 Downing Street with Prime Minister Tony Blair's web team to discuss his CMS driven intranet site, as a member of the communications team in Croydon for The Home Office Immigrations and Nationality Directorate.
Visit to President Dervis Eroglu's office on 17th July 2012
A real pleasure and privilege for me to meet the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. My book The Green Line (Yesil Hat) was handed to His Excellenecy who had promised to read and give feedback on it. He was so generous in finding the time to sit down talk to me about my book, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. |
