Rauf Denktaş facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rauf Denktaş
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| President of Northern Cyprus | |
| In office 15 November 1983 – 24 April 2005 |
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| Prime Minister | Nejat Konuk Derviş Eroğlu Hakkı Atun Mehmet Ali Talat |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Mehmet Ali Talat |
| Vice President of Cyprus | |
| In office 18 February 1973 – 15 July 1974 |
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| 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 | Aydın Denktaş |
| Children | 6, including Serdar (3 predeceased 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 Raif Denktaş (born January 27, 1924 – died January 13, 2012) was an important Turkish Cypriot leader. He was a lawyer and politician. Denktaş is known for being the first president of Northern Cyprus. He led the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus from its start in 1983 until 2005. Before that, he was president of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus (1975–1983). He also led the Autonomous Turkish Cypriot Administration (1974–1975). In 1973, he was elected as the vice-president of the Republic of Cyprus.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rauf Denktaş was born in Paphos, a city in Cyprus. His parents were Raif Mehmet Bey and Emine Hanim. They were Turkish Cypriots.
He went to The English School, Nicosia in Cyprus. After finishing school, he worked as a translator. He also worked as a court clerk and a teacher. Later, he traveled to Istanbul and London. There, he studied to become a barrister, which is a type of lawyer. He finished his law studies in 1947 and returned home.
In 1948, Denktaş joined a group that was looking for self-government for Cyprus. He also became part of the Turkish Affairs Committee. From 1949 to 1958, he worked as a crown prosecutor. This meant he represented the government in legal cases.
Becoming a Leader
In 1957, Denktaş helped create the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT). This group worked to protect Turkish Cypriots. They wanted to prevent Cyprus from joining Greece. They also supported dividing Cyprus into two parts.
In 1958, he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly for the Turkish Cypriots. He also helped the Turkish Government with the London and Zurich Agreements. These agreements were signed in 1959. They helped set the rights for Turkish Cypriots.
In 1960, Cyprus became independent from Britain. The Republic of Cyprus was formed. Denktaş was chosen to be the President of the Turkish Communal Chamber. This was a body that looked after Turkish Cypriot affairs.
Challenges and New Roles
In 1963, President Makarios suggested changes to the constitution. These changes would reduce the rights of Turkish Cypriots. After this, fighting started in December 1963. Turkish Cypriots then left the government.
Denktaş went to Ankara, Turkey, to talk with the Turkish government. Because of his work with TMT, the Greek Cypriot leaders stopped him from returning to Cyprus from 1964 to 1968. In 1973, he became the Vice President of Cyprus. He took over from Fazıl Küçük.
After a military coup in Cyprus in July 1974, Turkey sent troops to the island. This was to protect the Turkish Cypriot people. The Turkish Army took control of part of the island. In 1975, Denktaş was elected as the speaker of the legislature. Then, in 1976, he became President of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus. He was re-elected in 1981.
Founding Northern Cyprus
In 1983, Denktaş played a very important role. He led the Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This new state is called the TRNC. He was then elected as the President of the TRNC in 1985. He won elections again in 1990, 1995, and 2000.
Only Turkey recognizes the TRNC as an independent country. Rauf Denktaş was the main negotiator for Turkish Cypriots. He took part in peace talks sponsored by the United Nations since 1968.
Efforts for Peace and Retirement
Around 2000, both Cyprus and Turkey wanted to join the EU. This led to new efforts to find a solution for Cyprus. In 2002, many Turkish Cypriots in Northern Cyprus protested. They wanted the island to be reunited. This would give them EU citizenship when Cyprus joined the EU in 2004.
In 2004, Denktaş started new talks with Greek Cypriots. These talks were led by the United Nations. The goal was to reunite Cyprus. The plan was called the Annan Plan for Cyprus. It was put to a vote in a referendum on April 24, 2004. Denktaş did not support the final version of the plan. The plan was accepted by 65% of the Turkish Cypriots. However, most Greek Cypriots rejected it.
On May 14, 2004, Denktaş announced he would not run for president again. His time as President ended after the election of Mehmet Ali Talat in April 2005. Talat officially took office on April 25.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Rauf Denktaş enjoyed photography and writing in his free time. His photographs were shown in many countries. These included the United States, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. He wrote about fifty books in English and Turkish. He also wrote many articles for the newspaper Halkın Sesi.
Denktaş received many awards and honorary degrees. These came from different universities in Turkey, Northern Cyprus, and the United States. He was married to Aydın Denktaş for 63 years. They had six children. Sadly, three of his children passed away before him. His son, Serdar Denktaş, is also a politician.
Illness and Passing Away
Denktaş's health became weaker over the years. He had a heart condition. In May 2011, he had a stroke. He passed away on January 13, 2012. He died from multiple organ failure in a hospital in Nicosia.
Northern Cyprus declared seven days of mourning. Turkey declared five days. His funeral was held on January 17, and thousands of people attended. He was buried in the Cumhuriyet Park (Park of the Republic).
See also
In Spanish: Rauf Denktash para niños
