Early career

Denktash was born in Paphos (known as Baf in Turkish), and graduated from the English School 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 Denktash 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. In that capacity, he prosecuted some EOKA members who were found guilty and were executed by hanging, or imprisoned.

Political career

In 1957, Denktash helped found the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT), an organization, that was formed to resist EOKA's struggle to proclaim ENOSIS (Union With Greece). 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-Cypriot people during the preparation of the Zürich Agreement (signed February 19, 1959). In 1960, Cyprus won independence from Britain, and the Republic of Cyprus was established. Denktash 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 facilitate the workings of the state. The paramilitray action against the Turks in December 1963, after which Turkish-Cypriots withdrew from government. Upon these events, Denktash went to Ankara for consultation with Turkish government. His entry to the island was prohibited by the Greek-Cypriot leadership in years 1964-1968 due to his invlolvment with the TUrkish underground organition TMT.

After the July 15, 1974 military coup in Cyprus, Turkey used it as an excuse to unilaterally intervene and land 40 000 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 eventually took control 37% of the island in the following year and in 1976 he was elected President of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus condemned by the U.N. and only recognized by Turkey.

He was elected as the President for a second term in 1981. He played a key role in the 1983 proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) which is internationally recognized only by Turkey. He was elected as the President of TRNC in 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000.

Denktash has been the chief negotiator in the United Nations sponsored peace talks since 1968. Over the years, various attempts by the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Britain to resolve failed, which is partly attributed to him.

Recent times

By 2000, the desire of both Cyprus and Turkey to join the EU 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 joins 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 are 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. However, he has opposed the settlement proposal (the "Annan Plan"), which was voted on by the two Cypriot communities in a reunification referendum on April 24, 2004. The plan was accepted by 65% of the Turkish community, but was rejected by the Greeks.

On May 14, 2004, Denktaş announced he would not be standing for a fifth term as President of the TRNC. His tenure as President came to an end following the April 17, 2005 election of Mehmet Ali Talat, who formally assumed office on April 25.

Other information

His favourite pastimes include photography 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.

Denktash 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 tonsillectomy. His surviving son Serdar Denktash is also a politician, and as of 2004, he is the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the TRNC.

Books by Denktash

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 Yougsters, 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? - Rum Yunan 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

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Rauf Denktash

Contents

Early career

Political career

Recent times

Other information

Books by Denktash