Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday commemorated the ninth death anniversary of Rauf Denktaş, the founding father of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
"We will not forget Rauf Denktaş, the founder, first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and with whom we supported the just struggle of the Turkish Cypriots for years. On the ninth anniversary of his death, I remember Rauf Bey with mercy," Erdoğan said on the Telegram social network.
Turkey's Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop also commemorated the anniversary on his social media account.
"I commemorate the late founding President Rauf Denktaş, the great fighter of the Cyprus cause, on his death anniversary. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where he fought for its freedom, will continue to exist forever," he said.
Rauf Denktaş passed away on Jan. 13, 2012 at the age of 87.
The Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.
