Ireland: Turkish-Irish among killed in barracks attack

Ireland: Turkish-Irish among killed in barracks attack

Cengiz Patrick Azimkar was the son of a  Muslim Turkish Cypriot father and a Christian Irish mother (Hurriyet)


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THE YOUNG soldier ruthlessly gunned down with a comrade in Northern Ireland had given up a promising career as a footballer to pursue his dream life in the Army.


Tributes to football-mad Cengiz "Patrick" Azimkar, 21, who was murdered just hours before he was due to fly to serve in Afghanistan, poured in this week.


The news of his death outside his barracks in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on Saturday, has rocked the Wood Green community where he grew up.


This week friends and family, who knew him as "Pat", remembered his cheeky smile and constant joking.


The combat engineer and talented footballer, who had trials for Tottenham Hotspur, lived in Boundary Road, Wood Green, and went to Belmont Primary School, Rusper Road, Wood Green, and later to Edmonton County School until he was 18.


He had captained north London-based football team Gladstone Rangers for four years.


Tragically, Patrick was looking forward to a trip to Fiji with a colleague after his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Gladstone Rangers' club secretary Steve Hindley said: "I know everyone says the same thing when someone dies but this kid he really was the funniest - everybody loved him. Any problems and Pat would be the first to sort them out.


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Patrick's family - mum Geraldine, father Mehmet and brother James - were too distraught to talk to the Journal. A statement from the family read: "Patrick was a great character and a good sport who never said anything bad about anyone. Decisive, generous, proud and dignified he really enjoyed army life.


"He particularly enjoyed living in Belfast and he talked of settling there with his girlfriend after his return from Afghanistan - a mission which he was within just two hours of leaving for."


Brother James said he was "courageous, strong and a loyal and true friend".


Patrick was killed with fellow engineer Mark Quinsey as they collected pizza outside their Massereene base at about 9.20pm.


Two pizza delivery drivers and another two people were also injured in the shooting. No arrests have been made.


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Source: Tottenham Journal (English)

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