Biography

Serdar Denktaş was born in Lefkoşa in 1959. After completing his education on printing at the London College of Printing in the United Kingdom, he entered University of Cardiff to study Economics. He established Turkish Student Association at Cardiff and took in Student Union Administration. In the TRNC, he established Northern Cyprus Culture Association in 1986, Young Businessmen Association in 1989, serving as their first directors. He also served as the General Manager of Cyprus Credit Bank.

In the 1990 general elections, he was elected as a National Unity Party (UBP) MP for Lefkoşa. Between the dates of 20 June 1990 and 15 May 1992, he served as the Minister of Internal, Rural Affairs and Environment. He resigned from his duty of Minister of Internal Affairs in 1992 and became the pioneers of intra-party opposition movement which later turned into “Dokuzlar Hareketi”. Following his expulsion from the Party along with his friends he took part in the formation of the Democrat Party. Between the years of 1992 and 1993 he served as Lefkoşa District President of the Democrat Party and as Secretary-General. In the 1993 general elections he was elected as a Democrat Party MP for Lefkoşa and between the dates of 1 January 1994 and 18 January 1995 he served as the Minister of Youth and Sports. In 1996 he was elected as the leader of the Democrat Party. He embarked on duty as Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister on 16 August 1996. On 6 December 1998 General Elections he was reelected as the Democrat Party MP for Lefkoşa.

He resigned from party leadership in 2000 and between the years of 2001 and 2003 he served as the Minister of Tourism and Environment. He became the Chairman of the Democratic Party again in December 2002. He was re-elected as the Democratic Party’s Lefkoşa MP in the 14 December 2003 General Elections. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs during the coalition government of Republican Turkish Party and Democrat Party.

In the 20 February 2005 Early General Elections he was re-elected as a Democrat Party MP for Lefkoşa. Within the Republican Turkish Party – Democrat Party coalition government he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

He was re-elected as the Democratic Party's Lefkoşa MP in the early general elections of 19 April 2009.

On 5 June 2013, with the decision of the party caucus the name of the Democrat Party changed as the Democrat Party - National Forces (DP-UG).

In the early general elections held on 28 July 2013, he was elected as the DP-UG MP for Nicosia and served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Tourism, Culture and Sports in the new government formed on 31 August.

Denktaş speaks English and German. He is married and has three children.