Kudret Özersay

Kudret Özersay was born in 1973 in the village of Alaminyo, Larnaca. He graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of International Relations at Ankara University. In 1997, he worked at the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe on the efforts to democratize post-war elections in Bosnia Herzegovina. He then obtained his master’s degree on the issue of the right of passage through Turkish Straits from the Faculty of Political Sciences Department of International Relations at Ankara University in 1998, followed by the completion of his doctorate degree in 2002 on the Cyprus Treaties of 1959-1960. During his master’s and doctorate studies, he conducted research in the United Kingdom at the University of London, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Between 1996 and 2002, he worked as a research assistant at Ankara University.

In 2003, Kudret Özersay started working in the Political Science and International Relations Department of Eastern Mediterranean University, where he also acted as the Dean for a period of time. In 2008, he earned a scholarship to work as a visiting professor at the University of Oxford, Faculty of Law. During his time at Eastern Mediterranean University, he gave classes on international law, introduction to law, negotiation and mediation and global politics. He earned the title of Professor in June 2015.

He returned to Cyprus in 2002 and served as a member of the negotiation teams of both Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş and second President Mehmet Ali Talat. In the periods between 2002-2003 and 2003-2004, he acted as a member of the Committee on International Treaties, and was a member of the Turkish Cypriot negotiation team during the Annan Plan negotiations. He attended the negotiations within the Turkish Cypriot negotiation team at Bürgenstock, Switzerland, as an expert on international law. In 2010, he was appointed as the Special Representative of third President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu, which he carried out until June 2012. During this period, he resigned from his post and led the “Toparlanıyoruz” civil society movement. With the resumption of negotiations in 2014, this time he was appointed on 8 February 2014 as “Negotiator” by the President of the TRNC.

Throughout his 12-year negotiation experience, he was present at the same negotiating table with three TRNC Presidents, four Greek Cypriot leaders and two United Nations Secretaries-General. He carried out diplomatic tasks and represented the Turkish Cypriot side on behalf of the TRNC President in global hubs such as London, Athens, Moscow, New York, Washington, Brussels, Paris and Berlin.

Kudret Özersay continues his duty as the Chairman of the People’s Party, of which he is the founding Chairman in January 2016. Kudret Özersay was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Lefkoşa district representing the People’s Party at the TRNC Legislative Assembly following the early general elections which took place on 7 January 2018.

Kudret Özersay has been appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as Government Spokesperson within the four-party coalition government comprised of CTP-HP-TDP-DP.