Kudret Özersay
Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
2 February 2018 – 9 December 2020
Preceded bySerdar Denktaş (Deputy Prime Minister)
Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
Succeeded byErhan Arıklı (Deputy Prime Minister)
Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
Leader of the People's Party
In office
6 January 2016 – 11 January 2020
Preceded byoffice established
Succeeded byYenal Senin
Member of the Assembly of Republic
Assumed office
7 January 2018
ConstituencyLefkoşa (2018)
Personal details
Born (1973-12-16) 16 December 1973
Alaminos, Cyprus[1]
Political partyPeople's Party
SpouseAliye Ummanel
Alma materAnkara University (PhD)
Websitewww.kudretozersay.com

Kudret Özersay (born 16 December 1973) is a Turkish Cypriot academic, diplomat and politician. A scholar in international politics by profession, he served in the negotiations to solve the Cyprus dispute between 2002 and 2012 and in 2014. He was the Special Representative of the President of Northern Cyprus between 2010 and 2012 and again in 2014. He established and led the Toparlanıyoruz Movement and is one of the founders and the current leader of People's Party.

Education

Özersay studied international relations at Ankara University. His 2002 PhD thesis was on the "Validity of the 1959–1960 Cyprus Treaties In International Law".[2]

Political career

Özersay became involved in the negotiations to solve the Cyprus dispute under President Rauf Denktaş in 2002. He then was a part of President Mehmet Ali Talat's team for the negotiations.[3] He was appointed as the Special Representative of Turkish Cypriot President Derviş Eroğlu on 9 May 2010.[4] In May 2012, he founded the Toparlanıyoruz Movement, with the stated aim of combating corruption in politics, increasing transparency in political parties and bureaucracy and bringing about positive change to the political order.[5] This move was disapproved by Eroğlu and he resigned from his post on 8 June 2012.[6] The movement headed by him criticized the government, political parties, and other institutions such as the Directorate General for Police.[7][8]

On 8 February 2014, Özersay was appointed by Eroğlu as the Chief Negotiator.[9][10] However, after his announcement of his candidacy for the 2015 presidential election, Eroğlu removed him from his post on 8 October 2014.[11]

Özersay ran for President of Northern Cyprus in the 2015 election and finished fourth, thus being eliminated in the first round. However, he received 21.3% of the vote in an election where all four leading candidates received votes between 20% and 30%. His share of the vote was seen as a surprise success, especially given his lack of political history and lack of endorsement from any political party.[12]

On 6 January 2016, Özersay, along with other founding members, established the People's Party, after leaving the leadership of the Toparlanıyoruz Movement.[13] He stated the party's aim as erasing the old political order based on corruption and the good administration of the Turkish Cypriot people.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Arslan, Muhammet İkbal (9 January 2020). "KKTC Dışişleri Bakanı Özersay Cumhurbaşkanı adaylığını açıkladı". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Kudret Özersay – Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Ben Kimim?". Kudret Özersay Presidential Campaign. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "Eroğlu'nun müzakere ekibi tamam gibi". Star Kıbrıs. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Kudret Özersay: "Geleceğimiz için toparlanıyoruz"". Kıbrıs Postası. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "Özersay, özel temsilcilik görevinden istifa etti". Kıbrıs Postası. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Toparlanıyoruz'dan Eroğlu ve Denktaş'a Eleştiri". Kıbrıs Time. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Toparlanıyoruz'dan PGM'ye eleştiri". Haber Kıbrıs. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "İstifası hafızalarda". Yeni Düzen. 9 February 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "INTERVIEW: Turkish Cypriot mediator Ozersay on Cyprus peace talks". Worldbulletin News. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "Turkish-Cypriot leader fires chief negotiator in peace talks". Kathimerini English Edition. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Sürpriz seçimin sevinen ve üzülen tarafları" (in Turkish). Kıbrıs. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "Toparlanıyoruz Hareketi'nin akıbeti ne olacak?". Kıbrıs Postası. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "Kıbrıs'ın Çipras'ı". Milliyet. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
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