Trikomo, Cyprus


Trikomo is a town in north-eastern Mesaoria in Cyprus. It is de facto under the control of Northern Cyprus and is the administrative center of the İskele District of Northern Cyprus. It gained municipality status on 1 June 1998.

History

Prior to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus of 1974, the population of the village consisted almost entirely of Greek Cypriots, most of whom fled during the conflict and some of whom were later transported to the south. In 1974, Turkish Cypriots from Larnaca settled in Trikomo, giving it its new name.
Turkish Cypriot Larnaca Municipality that was founded in 1958 moved to Trikomo in 1974.

Culture, sports, and tourism

Turkish Cypriot Larnaka Gençler Birliği or İskele Gençlerbirliği Sports Club was founded in 1934 in Larnaca, and as of the 2018-19 season plays in the KTFF Süper Lig.
Trikomo contains the Panagia Theotokos Church, which hosts an icon museum showcasing rare examples of medieval iconography in Cyprus. The church is a twin church consisting of Orthodox and Catholic sections. Its older Catholic section dates to the Byzantine era while the Catholic section was built in the 12th century during the Lusignan period.
The town also annually hosts the İskele Festival, which takes place for ten days every summer, and is the oldest annual festival in Cyprus, the first occasion having been held in Larnaca in 1968. In 1974, the festival was moved to Trikomo along with the move of the Turkish Cypriot inhabitants. It features an international folk dance festival, concerts by Turkish Cypriot and mainland Turkish musicians, various sports tournaments, food stalls and competitions, as well as other shows and contests highlighting the cultural heritage of the town.

Politics

The current mayor of the town is Hasan Sadıkoğlu. Sadıkoğlu was elected in 2014 as an independent candidate. He was elected once more in 2018 as the candidate of the right-wing National Unity Party, winning with 54.6% of the votes. In the local elections of 2018, four members of the UBP, two members of the pro-settler Rebirth Party and two members of the left-wing Republican Turkish Party were elected to the eight-member municipal council.

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Trikomo is twinned with: