Deceased former Turkish Cypriot president to be laid to rest in Cumhuriyet Park

LEFKOSA (A.A) - January 15, 2012 - Former President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), who passed away on Friday, will be laid to rest in Cumhuriyet Park in Lefkosa. Denktas' son Serdar Denktas told AA on Sunday that a monument would also be built for his father.   He noted that a contest would be held, and they would select a monument among the projects in the contest. Funeral ceremony of Denktas will begin on January 16, and he will be laid to rest on January 17, according to a decision by TRNC Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers, which held an extraordinary meeting on Saturday, declared general mourning in the country. Rauf Denktas died at the age of 88 on Friday. Denktas was born in Baf Region of Cyprus on January 27, 1924. Denktas lost his mother when he was 1.5 years old. His father is judge Raif Bey. He was grown up by his maternal and paternal grandmothers and was sent to Istanbul for education in 1930. He began to study at Fevzi Ati High School giving education in Arnavutkoy from primary to high school as a boarding student. He turned back to Cyprus after secondary school and completed high school in Cyprus.  Denktas went to England for law education. He started to work as a lawyer after he graduated. He began to work as a prosecutor in 1949. He married Aydin Hanim the same year. He addressed to the public in the first public meeting arranged by Cyprus Turks on November 27, 1948 together with Dr. Fazil Kucuk. In 1948, Denktas served as a member of the Consultative Assembly and became a member of the Turkish Affairs Committee. In 1949, he started working as a crown prosecutor, where he remained until 1958. Denktas helped founding the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT), an organization, that was formed to resist EOKA. In 1958, he attended the U.N. General Assembly on behalf of the Turkish Cypriots. Denktas played an active role in the preparation of the Zurich Agreement in 1959. In 1960, Cyprus won independence from Britain, and the Republic of Cyprus was established. Denktas was elected as the President of the Turkish Communal Chamber. On August 16, 1960, a Turkish regiment of 650 people landed on Magosa Port. Denktas went to Ankara to hold negotiations after 1963 events. Denktas returned to Cyprus on a rowboat having completed his contacts, and began to organize Turkish resistance.  He was declared as "persona non grata" by Makarios after 1964 London Conference. His entry to Cyprus was forbidden. He landed on Erenkoy secretly and took part in the war. He was arrested in 1967 while entering the island secretly. He was given back to Turkey as a consequence of intense efforts. In 1968, since prohibition of his entry to the island was lifted, he returned to Cyprus. He was elected as the chairman of Turkish Community Council in 1970 elections. He was elected as Assistant Cyprus President and President of Turkish Government until February 28, 1973. After proclamation of Cyprus Turkish Federal State on February 13, 1975, he pursued the posts of state and government president, and was elected as the state president in the general elections held in 1976. He became the president of the state for the second time in 1981. He was elected as the president for the second time in the early elections held on April 22, 1990. He was elected as the president in the elections held in 1995. Denktas held negotiations with four Greek Cypriot leaders for a solution to the Cyprus issue. Denktas conducted a campaign against UN solution plan called as Annan plan presented in 2002. He did not run in the presidential election held on April 17, 2005 and handed over the post to Mehmet Ali Talat. Denktas had a partial paralysis caused by an embolism on May 24, 2011. After his first surgery in Lefkosa, he underwent another operation at Ankara's GATA on August 25. Rauf Denktas was taken to TRNC on August 30, and his treatment continued at the Near East University Hospital. Denktas underwent another surgery at the hospital on September 5 due to an increasing cerebral hemorrhage. Denktas was hospitalized again on January 8 after experiencing diarrhea and asthenia.