Rauf Raif Denktaş (1924–2012) was a jurist and politician; he was the founding President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) (1983–2005).
After working as a lawyer and prosecutor, he became a leading figure in Turkish Cypriot politics; for many years he represented the Turkish Cypriot side in the intercommunal negotiations. He is known as a defender of the rights and existence of the Turkish Cypriot community.
Sources
- Turkish Wikipedia: tr.wikipedia.org
- English Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org