Biography

Kenan Atakol was born in Yayla village of Paphos District in 1937. After graduating from the Middle East Technical University, Department of Civil Engineering in 1961, he worked in private sector in Cyprus and Water Development Department for a period. He went to the United States of America in 1964 and received the degree of Master of Science (M.Sc) from the University of New Mexico in 1965 and Doctor of Science (Dr.Sc.) from the University of Virginia in 1967. Between 1967 and 1972, he lectured at the Pennsylvania State University. He has several publications in his field.

From 1972 to 1974, he served as an expert engineer representing the Cyprus Turkish Administration in the Güzelyurt-Tillirya Irrigation Project prepared by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and carried out the dam planning of this project.

He was elected as a member of parliament in the general elections of 20 June 1976 and 28 June 1981. Then, he became a member of the Constituent Assembly founded on 2 December 1983. On 23 June 1985, 6 May 1990 and 25 December 1993 general elections, he was elected as a National Unity Party MP for Lefkoşa. His uninterrupted service as a member of parliament ended on 18 December 1998.

Between 1974 and 1993 he served as the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister of Education and Culture, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence and Minister of Tourism.

Atakol speaks English and Greek. He is married and has two children.