Rauf Raif Denktaş

Rauf Raif Denktaş (1924–2012) was a prominent Turkish Cypriot statesman and the founding President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Born in Paphos, Cyprus, Denktaş studied law in the United Kingdom and became a barrister in 1947. He returned to Cyprus the same year and established his own law practice.

In the 1950s, he co-founded the Turkish Resistance Organization and played an active role in the Turkish Cypriot community’s struggle for political rights and self-determination.

Denktaş became the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community in 1973 and served as one of the chief negotiators in talks that led to the establishment of the independent Republic of Cyprus in 1960. Intercommunal tensions escalated in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Following a coup in Cyprus backed by the military junta in Greece in 1974, Turkish forces intervened to protect the Turkish Cypriot community. In 1983, Denktaş became the first President of the newly established TRNC and served until 2005.

He was widely respected among Turkish Cypriots for his leadership and efforts to safeguard his community. For his political wisdom and experience, he received numerous honorary doctorates from various universities.