New Turkish Cypriot President

Dervis Eroglu won the elections in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on 18 April and became the new President after winning more than 50 percent of votes. Prime Minister and candidate of the National Unity Party (UBP) won the elections in the first round. Approximately 619 of the total 629 ballot boxes were counted and Eroglu won 50.37 percent of the votes.

TRNC Higher Electoral Board president Nevvar Nolan said Eroglu won 50.37 percent of the votes and Mehmet Ali Talat won 42.84 of the votes. Nolan said votes in the ballot boxes that were not counted would not change the results.

Personal Details
Dervis Eroglu was born in Ergazi village of Magusa in 1938. He completed elementary school in Ergazi village. Eroglu graduated from Magusa's Namik Kemal High School. In 1963, he graduated from the Medical Faculty of Istanbul University. Following graduation, Eroglu worked as a doctor in Gazimagusa. Later, Eroglu specialized in urology at Ankara's Numune Hospital. Between 1972-1976, he worked at the Gazimagusa State Hospital as an urology expert. In 1976, he was elected as a deputy of Gazimagusa from the UBP.

Eroglu served as the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports in 1976-1977. Between 1977 and 1983, he served as the UBP leader in Gazimagusa. Between 1972 and 1982, he was the president of the Gazimagusa Turkish Cooperative Bank. For 16 years, he served as the President of the Executive Board of the Magusa Turkish Power.

Remarkable Career Graph
Eroglu served as a founding member of the Constituent Assembly in 1983. In December 1983, he was elected leader of the UBP. He was elected as an UBP deputy from Gazimagusa in national elections of 1981, 1985, 1990, 1993, and 1998. Between 1985 and 1993, he served as the Prime Minister. Between January 1, 1994 and August 16, 1996, he continued to work as the leader of the main opposition. As of August 16, 1996, he served as a Prime Minister in the UBP-Democrat Party (DP) coalition government. Following the general elections on December 6, 1998, Eroglu became the Prime Minister under the coalition government of UBP-Communal Liberation Party (TKP). He served again as the Prime Minister under a new UBP-DP coalition government.

Eroglu was elected as the Chairman of the UBP on November 29, 2008 after serving as UBP leader for 11 terms. He formed up the government for the eighth time after winning the early elections of April 19, 2009 in which the UBP won 26 seats. Eroglu is married with four children and five grand-children. He speaks fluent English and Greek.

Rauf Denktas was the first president of the TRNC which was established in 1983. He remained at office from 1983 to 2005. He was replaced by Mehmet Ali Talat during the election in 2005.