Rauf Denktaş, a distinguished Turkish Cypriot statesman, lawyer, and jurist of great renown, occupied the prestigious office of founding president of Northern Cyprus from the momentous declaration of the de facto state in 1983 until 2005, a tenure marked by significant events and milestones.
Throughout his remarkable and distinguished career, Denktaş was elected as the vice-president of the Republic of Cyprus in 1973, a testament to his widespread recognition and appeal across the entire island.
