Mehmet Ali Talat
| Mehmet Ali Talat | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| 2nd President of Northern Cyprus | |
|
In office 24 April 2005 – 23 April 2010 |
|
| Prime Minister |
Ferdi Sabit Soyer Derviş Eroğlu |
| Preceded by | Rauf Denktaş |
| Succeeded by | Derviş Eroğlu |
| Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus | |
|
In office 13 January 2004 – 24 April 2005 |
|
| President | Rauf Denktaş |
| Preceded by | Derviş Eroğlu |
| Succeeded by | Ferdi Sabit Soyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
6 July 1952 Kyrenia, British Cyprus |
| Nationality | Turkish Cypriot |
| Political party | Republican Turkish Party |
| Spouse(s) | Oya Talat |
| Residence | North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus |
| Alma mater |
Middle East Technical University Eastern Mediterranean University |
Mehmet Ali Talat (born 6 July 1952) is a Turkish Cypriot politician who served as the President of Northern Cyprus between 2005 and 2010. Talat is the leader of the social democratic Republican Turkish Party (Turkish: Cumhuriyetçi Türk Partisi, CTP), having previously held this position between 1996 and 2005. He became prime minister in 2004, and subsequently won the presidential election held on 17 April 2005. Talat was inaugurated on 25 April 2005, succeeding retiring leader Rauf Denktaş. He lost the presidential election of 2010 and was replaced by Derviş Eroğlu as President.
Talat was born in Kyrenia on 6 July 1952. Completing his secondary education in Cyprus, Talat graduated from Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department of the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey.
Involved in various political activities since he was a university student, Talat continued after he returned to Cyprus, and played an important role in the establishment of Turkish Cypriot trade unions and the Turkish Cypriot Students' Youth Federation (KOGEF), becoming the first chairman of its executive board.
He also participated in the youth movement of the Republican Turkish Party, and served in various committees and organs of the CTP for many years. He served as the party secretary for Education.
Talat joined the CTP in 1973 and soon rose to the party leadership. He worked as a refrigerator repairman during this time. He was a senior figure in the party when the independence of Northern Cyprus was declared in 1983. The CTP had opposed the creation of an independent state in the north previously, distributing anti-independence pamphlets days before the declaration. However, according to Talat, the party had been threatened by Denktaş to prevent them from voting against the declaration. Talat was one of those against voting for in the internal party debate, but the party leadership narrowly decided to vote for independence. Talat later controversially stated that he had cried after this meeting.
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