Honouring leaders
Turkish Cypriots this week remembered Rauf Denktaş and Dr Fazıl Küçük — the two men credited with leading their community out of the dark days of intercommunal conflict and into the TRNC era. In the week that marks their deaths, Chief Reporter KEREM HASAN records the tributes paid and gets a preview of the permanent memorial to Mr Denktaş which is nearing completion.
LEFKOŞA’S TMT Park will soon play host to a striking monument, mausoleum and musem complex to honour the life of TRNC Founding President Rauf Denktaş.
Six years after his death, as tributes flowed to both Mr Denktaş and his predecessor as Turkish Cypriot leader, Dr Fazıl Küçük, whose death 34 years ago was marked on Monday, it was confirmed that the eight million TL site was nearing completion and should be ready by the spring.
Halil Gerçek, of the Gerçek construction firm which won the contract, told Cyprus Today they were “near the end” of the project to build a 800m2, 85m-high monument, complete with underground museum and a ceremonial area spread over 10 dönüms.
“We have stepped up work with the objective of completing the entire project by April of this year,” he said.
“We are in the very last phase of construction and finishing off painting. The lights and camera systems have been installed and we are now at the stage of starting landscaping and garden work to make the area lush with greenery.”
He added: “The 3,000m2 underground museum will depict all aspects of Mr Denktaş’s life, from his childhood to his political career.”
The shape of the memorial was conceived following an international design competition held in 2012, the year of Mr Denktaş’s death.
Out of 104 projects put forward, the initial choice was that of Mehmet Metin Polat and Bilge Altuğ, with a series of walkways, including one along which the history and life of the late leader would be depicted.
However the winning scheme fell by the wayside after the Denktaş family — including the late leader’s son, Democrat Party leader Serdar Denktaş — asked for changes to be made to the blueprint.
The current scheme, drafted in as a replacement, was the runner-up design entered by Selim Velioğlu, Erce Funda, Mustafa Orkun Özüer and Ersen Gömleksiz.
Tourism Minister Fikri Ataoğlu told Cyprus Today: “The completion of this project is very important for the Turkish Cypriot people.
“Mr Denktaş was a true leader who changed the course of history, not only for us Turkish Cypriots.”
After sirens had sounded nationwide at 10.08am last Saturday to mark the moment of Mr Denktaş’s passing, a ceremony near his grave at the TMT Momunment saw wreaths laid and flags lowered to half-mast.
The Denktaş family, including widow Aydın Denktaş, were joined by President Mustafa Akıncı, parliamentary Speaker Sibel Siber, Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün, Chief Justice Narin Ferdi Şefik, former presidents Derviş Eroğlu and Mehmet Ali Talat, Republican Turkish Party leader Tufan Erhürman, Turkish Ambassador Derya Kanbay and military officers.
Speaking at the event, Mr Akıncı described Mr Denktaş as “an important leader who left his mark on history”, high-lighting the role of both him and Dr Küçük when he told how “conditions created following the Second World War had played a part in shaping people’s political orientantion”.
“Every person in the community fell victim to the . . . struggle by Greek-Greek
Cypriot nationalists which spoiled the [island’s] peace and prosperity. Many lost their lives, or someone dear to them.”
“At such a time . . . it is historically important for someone to come forward, to give direction to the people in their joint struggle . . . and this is where the late Mr Denktaş and Dr Küçük [came in].”
He continued: “Mr Denktaş was one of the primary people to fight against efforts for Enosis [union of Cyprus with Greece] . . . [He], with his community, stood against attempts to suddenly make the island, in which they had been rooted for over 500 years, Greek.”
Mr Akıncı, who also spoke at the memorial ceremony for Dr Küçük, at his Anıttepe mausoleum on the outskirts of the capital, said Mr Denktaş’s predecessor as community leader had “played a very important role” in raising Turkish awareness of the plight of Turkish Cypriots and the threat to their existence on the island, thus securing Ankara’s “historical help”.
Addressing the ceremony on Monday he said: “Dr Küçük will not only be remembered for his past services, but for the light he shone into our community . . .
“Throughout his life, he was never a physician who was motivated by profit. He set a unique example in showing communal solidarity, treated the poor for free, and gave medicine to those in poverty . . .
“He will be remembered best for explaining problems and heading to the streets and villages to enlighten the public, becoming a leader of the people; a part of the people. He showed great leadership along with Rauf Denktaş . . . He got his people organised to break the plans for Enosis, and worked to secure the support of Turkey.”
He said Dr Küçük had “stood against religious extremism and backwardness”.