VETERAN Turkish Cypriot politician Ozker Ozgur died yesterday afternoon, aged 65, after a battle with cancer.
Born in Paphos in 1940, Ozgur graduated from Ankara Education Institute before becoming a teacher. He returned to Cyprus in 1966 and became involved in left-wing politics, eventually becoming a member of the founding ‘TRNC parliament’ formed in 1975. In 1976 Ozgur was elected leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), a position he held for the next 20 years.
Current Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat also served as leader of the CTP before being elected ‘President’ of the TRNC this year.
Ozgur was twice elected as a member of parliament and also served as ‘Deputy Prime Minister’ in the north. After resigning from the CTP in 1996, Ozgur continued his political career with the United Cyprus Movement where he served as Foreign Affairs Secretary. He was married and had three children.
The Turkish Cypriot politician also had close ties with left-wing AKEL and was visited on Monday night by party leader and House President Demetris Christofias, who crossed to the north to pay his respects.
Party spokesman Andros Kyprianou said yesterday that Ozgur had dedicated his life to the unification of Cyprus and its freedom, and for this AKEL had honoured him. In addition to the love of his country, he also fought for the position of the left and the struggles of the workers, Kyprianou said.
In his last public interview in September, Ozgur told state television CyBC: “I’ve always believed that Turkish and Greek Cypriots always had the goodwill, but not the leadership unfortunately. If the leaders were determined to keep Cyprus together as a republic, as a bicommunal republic, they could do it despite all the difficulties, because the people were ready.”
In the interview, which was carried out as part of the celebrations for the 45th anniversary of Cyprus’ independence, Ozgur added: “The people wanted peace and tranquillity but one leadership did not give up their idea of Enosis (union with Greece), and the other leadership did not give up their idea of partition, and this gave a very good opportunity for the outside forces to poke their noses and thus create the present conditions we are in today.”
Ozgur’s funeral will be held tomorrow.
