CULTURE / BOOKS
By John Oakes
“Cometh
the hour, cometh the man” …Rauf Denktaş
through his own eyes.
In their hour of need, Great Britain
So a new biography, which had RD’s full
support and co-operation, is an important addition to the annals of Turkish Cyprus.
I had the privilege of meeting RD
several times over three decades, and can confirm that this pen-portrait does
full justice to his urbanity, good humour, and immense intellectual grasp.
 |
| Yvonne Çerkez. Photo: New Cyprus Magazine |
He needed all these to deal with the
niceties of domestic politics while grasping firmly what had to be achieved on
the world stage. Simply, there was
no-one else on the island capable of combining such intellectual qualities.
But what the book also brings out are
the personal tragedies that he had to deal with, both as a child and throughout
his life, in what was at times clearly a very lonely and threatened existence. Even
his detractors acknowledge that he had extraordinary personal strength of
character and ability to survive.
Of course there are omissions, and
points glossed over: but that’s family life for you, and this is how RD wanted
to be remembered. How the book will be rated by historians and analysts will
take years to establish.
But what is certain is that, with such a
wealth of personal detail and anecdote,
love him or hate him, this is a book you need to buy if you have the slightest
interest in one of those rare individuals who clearly shaped history.
For more information about the book and author visit: RaufDenktasAPrivatePortrait.com
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