Rauf Denktash
| Rauf Denktaş | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st President of Northern Cyprus | |
|
In office 15 November 1983 – 24 April 2005 |
|
| Prime Minister |
Nejat Konuk Derviş Eroğlu Hakkı Atun Mehmet Ali Talat |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Mehmet Ali Talat |
| 2nd Vice President of Cyprus | |
|
In office February 1973 – July 1974 |
|
| President | Makarios III |
| Preceded by | Fazıl Küçük |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
27 January 1924 Paphos, British Cyprus |
| Died | 13 January 2012 (aged 87) North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus |
| Nationality | Turkish Cypriot |
| Political party | National Unity Party |
| Spouse(s) | Aydın Denktaş |
| Children | 6 children (3 pre-deceased him) |
| Occupation | Politician, statesman, political writer |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Education | English high school, Nicosia, 1941 Studied in Istanbul Studied law at Lincoln's Inn in London, 1944–1947 |
| Parents | Raif Mehmet Bey (1882–1941) Emine Hanim |
Rauf Denktaş, or Denktash (27 January 1924 – 13 January 2012) was a Turkish Cypriot politician, barrister and jurist who served as the founding President of Northern Cyprus. He occupied this position as the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus between the declaration of the de facto state by Denktaş in 1983 and 2005, as the President of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus between 1975 and 1983 and as the President of the Autonomous Turkish Cypriot Administration between 1974 and 1975. He was also elected in 1973 as the Vice-President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Denktaş was born in Paphos to judge Raif Mehmet Bey and Emine Hanim, Turkish Cypriots. He graduated from The English School, Nicosia in Cyprus. Following his graduation he worked as a translator in Famagusta after that as a court clerk and then as a teacher for one year in the English School. He later went to Istanbul and London, training first as a teacher and then as a barrister at Lincoln's Inn. He graduated in 1947 and returned home to practice law.
In 1948 Denktaş served as a member of the Consultative Assembly in search of self-government for Cyprus and became a member of the Turkish Affairs Committee. He was a crown prosecutor 1949–1958.
In 1957, Denktaş played the lead role in the founding of the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT), which was formed to resist EOKA's struggle to proclaim Enosis (union with Greece) and worked for the partition of Cyprus. In 1958, he attended the U.N. General Assembly on behalf of the Turkish-Cypriots, and in December of that year he advised the Turkish Government on the rights of Turkish Cypriots during the preparation of the London and Zurich Agreements (signed 19 February 1959). In 1960, Cyprus won independence from Britain, and the Republic of Cyprus was established. Denktaş was elected as the President of the Turkish Communal Chamber.
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