Rauf Denktas
Encyclopedia
Rauf Raif Denktaş (born 27 January 1924) is the founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a de facto state which is only recognized by Turkey. He was the first President of the TRNC, holding that position from 1983 to 2005.
to judge Raif Mehmet Bey (1882-1941) and Enime 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 London
and trained first as a teacher and then as a barrister
at Lincoln's Inn
. He graduated in 1947 and returned home to practise as a lawyer.
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. In 1949 he started working as a crown prosecutor, where he remained until 1958.
(TMT), an organization, that 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 Zürich Agreement (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.
In November 1963 President Makarios
gave for review to Turkey, Greece
and Britain 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 forcedly withdrew from government. Upon these events, Denktaş went to Ankara
for consultations with the Turkish government. His reentry to the island was prohibited by the Greek-Cypriot leadership in years 1964-68 due to his involvement with TMT.
After the 15 July 1974 Greek ultra-nationalist military coup in Cyprus, Turkey unilaterally invaded by landing troops
on the north coast of Cyprus. Although during the military operation the dictatorship fell and constitutional order was restored to Cyprus, Turkey continued to advance. The Turkish Army
took control 37% of the island by the time it completed its second advance on 14 August 1974 and reached Famagusta
. Denktaş was subsequently elected 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 never been recognised by the United Nations
or any state other than Turkey
. Denktaş has been the chief negotiator of Turkish Cypriots in the United Nations
sponsored peace talks since 1968.
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 December 2003 Denktaş's party suffered heavy losses in legislative elections
, suggesting that his days as the unchallenged leader of the Turkish Cypriots were coming to an end.
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 Papadopulous, he opposed the final version of the settlement proposal drafted under the authority of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
(the Annan Plan
), which was voted on by the two Cypriot communities in a referendum 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.
and writing. His photographs have been in exhibitions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, 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 Nation), published by Dr Fazil 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, the 'TRNC' and the United States. He is married and has one son and two daughters. He lost one son in a traffic accident and another son in a tonsillectomy
. His surviving son Serdar Denktaş
is also a politician, and as of 2007, leader of the northern Cypriot Democratic Party
.
Denktaş is an honorary member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
Note: The translations of the titles in Turkish is not necessarily the actual English title
Early career
Denktaş was born in PaphosPaphos
Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
to judge Raif Mehmet Bey (1882-1941) and Enime Hanim, Turkish Cypriots. He graduated from The English School, Nicosia in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Following his graduation he worked as a translator in Famagusta
Famagusta
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
after that as a court clerk and then as a teacher for one year in the English School. He later went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and trained first as a teacher and then as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. He graduated in 1947 and returned home to practise as a lawyer.
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. In 1949 he started working as a crown prosecutor, where he remained until 1958.
1957-1999
In 1957, Denktaş helped found the Turkish Resistance OrganizationTurkish Resistance Organization
The Turkish Resistance Organisation was a Turkish Cypriot pro-taksim paramilitary organisation formed by Rauf Denktaş and Turkish military officer Rıza Vuruşkan in 1958 as a defence organisation to counter the Greek Cypriot Fighter's Organisation EOKA....
(TMT), an organization, that was formed to resist EOKA's struggle to proclaim Enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
(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 Zürich Agreement (signed 19 February 1959). In 1960, Cyprus won independence from Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the Republic of Cyprus was established. Denktaş was elected as the President of the Turkish Communal Chamber.
In November 1963 President Makarios
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
gave for review to Turkey, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Britain 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 forcedly withdrew from government. Upon these events, Denktaş went to Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
for consultations with the Turkish government. His reentry to the island was prohibited by the Greek-Cypriot leadership in years 1964-68 due to his involvement with TMT.
After the 15 July 1974 Greek ultra-nationalist military coup in Cyprus, Turkey unilaterally invaded by landing troops
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
on the north coast of Cyprus. Although during the military operation the dictatorship fell and constitutional order was restored to Cyprus, Turkey continued to advance. The Turkish Army
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...
took control 37% of the island by the time it completed its second advance on 14 August 1974 and reached Famagusta
Famagusta
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
. Denktaş was subsequently elected 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
Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Eight years after the Turkish Federative State of North Cyprus was proclaimed , the UDI of North Cyprus was presented to the Northern Cypriot Parliament in North Nicosia by Turkish Cypriot Leader/Northern Cypriot State President Rauf Denktaş on November 15, 1983...
, and was elected as the President of the TRNC in 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000.
The TRNC has never been recognised by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
or any state other than Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Denktaş has been the chief negotiator of Turkish Cypriots in the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
sponsored peace talks since 1968.
Since 2000
By 2000, the desire of both Cyprus and Turkey to join the EUEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
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 December 2003 Denktaş's party suffered heavy losses in legislative elections
Elections in Northern Cyprus
Elections in Northern Cyprus, also referenced as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus or TRNC, bring into office a president and a legislature which exercise de facto leadership over the northern 36.27% of the island of Cyprus, encompassing the territory of the internationally-unrecognized...
, suggesting that his days as the unchallenged leader of the Turkish Cypriots were coming to an end.
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 Papadopulous, he opposed the final version of the settlement proposal drafted under the authority of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
(the Annan Plan
Annan Plan for Cyprus
The Annan Plan was a United Nations proposal to resolve the Cyprus dispute, reuniting the breakaway Northern Cyprus with the Republic of Cyprus. The proposal was to restructure Cyprus as the "United Cyprus Republic", which would be a federation of two states. It was revised a number of times before...
), which was voted on by the two Cypriot communities in a referendum 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
Northern Cyprus presidential election, 2005
Presidential elections were held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on Sunday April 17, 2005. It followed parliamentary elections in the internationally unrecognised country on February 20, which had been won by the pro-unification Republican Turkish Party .It is traditional in Turkish...
. His tenure as President came to an end following the 17 April 2005 election of Mehmet Ali Talat
Mehmet Ali Talat
Mehmet Ali Talat is the former President of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He was the leader of the left wing Republican Turkish Party . He became prime minister in 2004, and subsequently won the Presidential election held on 17 April 2005...
, who formally assumed office on 25 April.
Personal life and awards
His favourite pastimes include photographyPhotography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and writing. His photographs have been in exhibitions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, former republics of the Soviet Union, Poland, France, Austria and Turkey. He has written about fifty books in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
. Between the years 1949 and 1957 he wrote many articles for the newspaper Halkın Sesi (Voice of the Nation), published by Dr Fazil Küçük
Fazil Küçük
Fazıl Küçük was the first Vice President of the Republic of Cyprus.Fazıl Küçük, the son of a farmer, was born in Nicosia in 1906. After graduating from the Turkish High School in Nicosia, Küçük went on to study medicine at the Universities of Istanbul, Lausanne and Paris...
, 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, the 'TRNC' and the United States. He is married and has one son and two daughters. He lost one son in a traffic accident and another son in a tonsillectomy
Tonsillectomy
A tonsillectomy is a 3,000-year-old surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed from either side of the throat. The procedure is performed in response to cases of repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis or adenoiditis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, snoring, or...
. His surviving son Serdar Denktaş
Serdar Denktas
Serdar Denktaş is the one surviving son of Rauf Denktaş, the former President of the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus....
is also a politician, and as of 2007, leader of the northern Cypriot Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Northern Cyprus)
The Democratic Party is a center-right conservative political party in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. President of the party is Serdar Denktaş, son of the ex-president Rauf Denktaş....
.
Denktaş is an honorary member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
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
External links
- Biography of Denktaş in TRNC Presidency pages.
- VOA News Radio Broadcast Audio extract of Denktash in 2008 Voice of America interview with Nathan MorleyNathan MorleyNathan Morley is a multi award winning television presenter, columnist and journalist based in Finland and Cyprus.He is best known to international audiences for his live radio broadcasts on Talksport, LBC and the BBC to the United Kingdom...