Serdar Denktas
Encyclopedia
Serdar Denktaş is the one surviving son of Rauf Denktaş
, the former President
of the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
.
He recently served as the TRNC Deputy Prime Minister
and TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs
until 27 September 2006, when he was replaced in both portfolios by Reform Party (Northern Cyprus) Leader Turgay Avcı
.
Currently he is the leader of the Democratic Party
. He is viewed to be a more pragmatic politician
than his father.
He was born in Nicosia
in 1959. After completing a course in printing at the London College of Printing in the United Kingdom
, he entered University College, Cardiff
, to study Economics
. However, he did not succeed in completing his studies and returned to Cyprus
. He served as the General Manager of the Credit Bank of Cyprus.
In the 1990 General Elections he was elected to the TRNC Parliament as a National Unity Party MP
for Nicosia, and served as the Minister of the Interior, Rural Affairs and Environment
. He resigned from the NUP in 1992 and took part in the formation of the Democratic Party.
In the 1993 General Elections he was re-elected to his seat as a Democratic Party MP. He served in that government as the Minister of Youth and Sports. He became the leader of the Democratic Party in 1996. He served briefly as Minister of State
and Deputy Prime Minister until the formation of a new coalition government.
He was re-elected to the TRNC Parliament at the 1998 General Elections
. In 1991, he was appointed Minister of Tourism
and Environment. At the general elections in 2003, he was re-elected and appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs until September 2006, when the Democratic Party was dropped as a coalition partner by the Republican Turkish Party
.
He speaks Turkish
and English
.
Rauf Denktas
Rauf Raif Denktaş is the founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , a de facto state which is only recognized by Turkey...
, the former President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus...
.
He recently served as the TRNC Deputy Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
and TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
until 27 September 2006, when he was replaced in both portfolios by Reform Party (Northern Cyprus) Leader Turgay Avcı
Turgay Avci
Turgay Avcı is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He is also the Leader of the Reform Party .Avcı was born in Larnaca in 1959...
.
Currently he is the leader of the 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....
. He is viewed to be a more pragmatic politician
Foreign relations of Northern Cyprus
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, due to its unrecognized status internationally, is dependent on Turkey to facilitate its contacts with the international community...
than his father.
He was born in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
in 1959. After completing a course in printing at the London College of Printing in the United Kingdom
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...
, he entered University College, Cardiff
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
, to study Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. However, he did not succeed in completing his studies and returned to 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...
. He served as the General Manager of the Credit Bank of Cyprus.
In the 1990 General Elections he was elected to the TRNC Parliament as a National Unity Party MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Nicosia, and served as the Minister of the Interior, Rural Affairs and Environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
. He resigned from the NUP in 1992 and took part in the formation of the Democratic Party.
In the 1993 General Elections he was re-elected to his seat as a Democratic Party MP. He served in that government as the Minister of Youth and Sports. He became the leader of the Democratic Party in 1996. He served briefly as Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
and Deputy Prime Minister until the formation of a new coalition government.
He was re-elected to the TRNC Parliament at the 1998 General 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...
. In 1991, he was appointed Minister of Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and Environment. At the general elections in 2003, he was re-elected and appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
and Minister of Foreign Affairs until September 2006, when the Democratic Party was dropped as a coalition partner by the Republican Turkish Party
Republican Turkish Party
The Republican Turkish Party is a social democratic political party in the Republic of Cyprus. The party was founded in 1970 by Ahmet Mithat Berberoğlu, a lawyer, in opposition to the leadership of Fazıl Küçük and Rauf Denktaş.In the 1980s, the CTP's political position shifted to the left, to a...
.
He speaks 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,...
and 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...
.