Rauf Raif Denktaş (27 January 1924 – 13 January 2012) was a

Turkish Cypriot Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( or ; ) are so called ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots are mainly Sunni Muslims. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,000 Turkish settlers were given land onc ...

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 Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a '' de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all o ...

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 Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the third lar ...

Early life and career

Denktaş was born in

Paphos Paphos, also spelled as Pafos, is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: #Old Paphos, Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and #New Paphos, New Paphos. It i ...

to Turkish Cypriot parents, judge Raif Mehmet Bey and Emine Hanim. He graduated from

The English School, Nicosia The English School is an independent selective secondary school in Nicosia, Cyprus. It has a rigorous selection process for admittance of students. It is one of the secondary schools in Nicosia designated to be bi-communal, with both Greek and Tur ...

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

. Following his graduation he worked as a translator in

Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...

after that as a

court clerk A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court and administering oaths ...

and then as a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

for one year in the English School. He later went to

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, training first as a teacher and then as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

. 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 Crown prosecutor is the title given in a number of jurisdictions to the state prosecutor, the legal party responsible for presenting the case against an individual in a criminal trial. The title is commonly used in Commonwealth realms. Examples * ...

1949–1958.

1957–1999

In 1957, Denktaş played the lead role in the founding of the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT), which was formed to resist

EOKA The Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA ; ) was a Greek Cypriot nationalist guerrilla organization that fought a campaign for the end of Cyprus#Cyprus under the British Empire, British rule in Cyprus, and for enosis, eventual union with K ...

's struggle to proclaim

Enosis ''Enosis'' (, , "union") is an irredentist ideology held by various Greek communities living outside Greece that calls for them and the regions that they inhabit to be incorporated into the Greek state. The idea is related to the Megali Idea ...

(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 Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

, and the

was established. Denktaş was elected as the President of the Turkish Communal Chamber. In November 1963 President Makarios gave for review to Turkey,

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

and

a document with a series of constitutional amendments designed to loosen the acquired rights of Turkish Cypriots in the name of "the workings of the state". Then the paramilitary action against the Turks began in December 1963, after which Turkish-Cypriots forcefully withdrew from government. Upon these events, Denktaş went to

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

for consultations with the Turkish government. His reentry to the island was prohibited by the

Greek-Cypriot Greek Cypriots (, ) are the ethnic Greeks, Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest Ethnolinguistic group, ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2023 census, 719,252 respondents recorded their ethnicity as Greek, forming al ...

leadership in years 1964–68 due to his involvement with TMT. In the 1973 vice presidential elections he replaced Fazıl Küçük. After the 15 July 1974 Greek ultra-nationalist military coup in Cyprus, fearing for the safety of the Turkish Cypriot population, Turkey unilaterally invaded by landing troops on the north coast of Cyprus. During the military operation, the dictatorship led by

Nikos Sampson Nikos Sampson (; born Nikolaos (Nikos) Georgiadis, ; 16 December 1935 – 9 May 2001) was a Greek-Cypriot journalist, militant and politician, who was installed as acting President of Cyprus during the 1974 coup. A former journalist and EOK ...

fell and political wrangling began. After three weeks, Turkey continued to advance military operation. The

Turkish Army The Turkish Land Forces () is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for Army, land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Significant campaigns since the ...

took control of 37% of the island by the time it completed its second advance on 14 August 1974 and reached

. Denktaş was subsequently elected speaker of the legislature in 1975, and then President of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus in 1976 and for a second term in 1981. He played a key role in the 1983 Unilateral Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and was elected as the President of the TRNC in 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000. The TRNC has not been recognised by any state other than

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Denktaş had been the chief negotiator of Turkish Cypriots in the United Nations sponsored peace talks since 1968.

Later career

By 2000, the desire of both Cyprus and Turkey to join the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

led to renewed efforts to reach a settlement. In 2002 there were large demonstrations in northern Cyprus by Turkish Cypriots demanding reunification of the island, which would give them EU citizenship when Cyprus joined the EU in 2004. In February 2004 Denktaş embarked on a new round of UN sponsored talks with the Greek Cypriots, aimed at re-uniting Cyprus. Ultimately, as did the Greek Cypriot President

Tassos Papadopoulos Efstathios "Tassos" Nikolaou Papadopoulos (; 7 January 1934 – 12 December 2008) was a Cypriot politician and barrister, who served as President of Cyprus from 2003 to 2008. An experienced member of the Makarios III’s cabinet, Papadopo ...

, he opposed the final version of the settlement proposal drafted under the authority of the

UN Secretary General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder a ...

(the Annan Plan), which was voted on by the two Cypriot communities in a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

on 24 April 2004. The plan was accepted by 65% of the Turkish community, but was rejected by a vast majority of the Greeks. On 14 May 2004, Denktaş announced he would not be standing for a fifth term as President of the TRNC in the next election. His tenure as President came to an end following the 17 April 2005 election of Mehmet Ali Talat, who formally assumed office on 25 April.

Personal life and awards

Denktaş's favourite pastimes included

photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...

and writing. His photographs have been exhibited in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, some of the former republics of the Soviet Union, Poland, France, Austria and Turkey. He has written about fifty books in English and Turkish. Between the years 1949 and 1957 he wrote many articles for the newspaper '' Halkın Sesi'' ("Voice of the People"), published by Fazıl Küçük, the first Vice President of the Republic of Cyprus. Denktaş has been the recipient of many awards and honorary doctorates given by various universities in Turkey, Northern Cyprus and the United States. He was married to Aydın Denktaş (1933–2019) for 63 years and had three sons and three daughters. He lost a daughter at the age of three, one son, Raif in a traffic accident and another son in a

tonsillectomy Tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure in which both palatine tonsils are fully removed from the back of the throat. The procedure is mainly performed for recurrent tonsillitis, throat infections and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). For those wit ...

. His surviving son Serdar Denktaş is also a politician, and as of 2019, leader of the Turkish Cypriot Democratic Party.

Illness, death and funeral

Denktaş's health gradually deteriorated throughout the 2000s.Stefanos Evripidou
"Denktash to be Buried on Tuesday".
''

Cyprus Mail The ''Cyprus Mail'' is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. Established in 1945, it is published every day except Monday, and most of the local articles are available on its website. History With the demise of the '' ...

''. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012. He had a heart condition and on 25 May 2011 suffered a stroke. He died on 13 January 2012 of multiple organ failure at the

Near East University Near East University (NEU; , commonly referred to as YDÜ) is a private university located in Northern Cyprus. It was founded in North Nicosia in 1988, by Suat Günsel, a Turkish Cypriot who is the 100% owner of NEU. The chairman of the board o ...

Hospital in Nicosia. Northern Cyprus declared seven days' mourning, while Turkey declared five days'. His funeral was held on 17 January, with thousands of attendees. He was buried in the Cumhuriyet Park ("Park of the Republic")."Funeral service for former Turkish Cypriot leader".
''

Hürriyet ''Hürriyet'' (, ''Liberty'') is a major List of newspapers in Turkey, Turkish newspaper, founded in 1948. it had the highest circulation of any newspaper in Turkey at around 319,000. ''Hürriyet'' combines entertainment with news coverage and ...

''. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.

Books by Denktaş

* Saadet Sırları – Secrets of Happiness, 1941 * Ateşsiz Cehennem – Hell without Fire, 1944 * Criminal Cases, 1953–54 * A Handbook of Criminal Cases, 1955 * 12'ye 5 Kala – 5 to 12, 1964–66 * The Cyprus Problem, 1968 * The Akritas Plan, 1968 * A Short Discourse on Cyprus, 1972 * Gençlerle Başbaşa – Alone with Youngsters, 1981 * The Cyprus Triangle, 1982 * Gençlerle Hasbihal – Conversation with the Youth, 1982 * Cyprus Problem in a Nutshell, 1983 * Gençlere Öğütler – Advice to the Youth, 1985 * Kadın ve Dünya – Woman and The World, 1985 * Kuran'dan İlhamlar – Inspiration from The Qur'an, 1986 * İmtihan Dünyası – A World of Examination, 1986 * Yarınlar İçin – For Tomorrow, 1986 * UN Speeches on Cyprus, 1986 * Seçenekler ve Kıbrıs Türkleri – The Options and The Turkish Cypriots, 1986 * Cyprus, An Indictment and Defence, 1987 * The Cyprus Problem 23rd Year, 1987 * My Vision for Cyprus, 1988 * Atatürk, Din ve Laiklik – Atatürk, Religion and Laïcité, 1989 * Gençlerle Sohbet – Discussion with Youth, 1990 * Kıbrıs'ta Bitmeyen Kavga – Unending Fight in Cyprus, 1991 * Kıbrıs Davamız – Our Cyprus Issue, 1991 * İlk Altı Ay – The First Six Months, 1991 * What is the Cyprus Problem, 1991 * A Challenge on Cyprus, 1990–91 * Denktaş As A Photographer, Images From Northern Cyprus, 1991 * The Cyprus Problem and the Remedy, 1992, Nicosia (Lefkoşa) * From My Album, 1992 * O Günler – Those days, 1993, Nicosia * Images From Northern Cyprus, 1993 * Vizyon – The Vision, 1994, Nicosia * Kapılar – The Doors, 1995, Nicosia * Observations on the Cyprus Dispute, 1996 * Kıbrıs Meselesinde Son Durum – The Latest Situation in Cyprus Issue, 1996, Nicosia * Rum Yunan İkilisi: İstenmeyen Cumhuriyetten Nereye? – Cypriot Greek Duo: Where to from the Unwanted Republic, 1996, Nicosia * Karkot Deresi – Karkot Stream, 1996 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, I. cilt (1964) – Memoirs of Rauf Denktaş, 1964–74, volume I (1964), 1996 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, II. cilt (1965), 1997 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, III. cilt (1966), 1997 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, IV. cilt (1967), 1997 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, V. cilt (1968), 1997 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, VI. cilt (1969), 1997 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, VII. cilt (1970), 1997 * Kalbimin Sesi – The voice of my heart, 1997 * In Search of Justice, 1997 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, VIII. cilt (1971–72), 1998 * Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, IX. cilt (1973–74), 1999 * Hatıralar, Toplayış, X. cilt – Memoirs, Putting It Together, vol X, 2000 Note: The translations of the titles in Turkish is not necessarily the actual English title

Notes

References

External links

Biography of Denktaş
in TRNC Presidency website * Audio extract of Denktaş in a 2008

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...

interview with Nathan Morley {{DEFAULTSORT:Denktas, Rauf 1924 births 2012 deaths 20th-century Cypriot lawyers 20th-century presidents of Northern Cyprus 20th-century prime ministers of Northern Cyprus Cypriot expatriates in England Cypriot people of the Cyprus Emergency Deaths from multiple organ failure Members of Lincoln's Inn Non-fiction crime writers People from Nicosia People from Paphos Presidents of Northern Cyprus Speakers of the Assembly of Northern Cyprus Turkish Cypriot expatriates in Turkey Turkish Cypriot expatriates in the United Kingdom Turkish Cypriot political writers Vice presidents of Cyprus