Biography

Turgay Avcı was born in Larnaca in 1959. He received his bachelor’s degree at Electrical and Electronical Engineering at American University of Beirut in 1985, postgraduate degree at Eastern Mediterranean University Department of Business Management in 1992 and PhD degree at Çukurova University Department of Management and Organization in 1995. Between the years of 1990 and 2003 he held offices at Eastern Mediterranean University as the Vice Head of the Department of Business Management, Director of the Graduate School of Tourism and Hotel Management and Vice-Chancellor. He received trainings in the fields of management and quality in the United States and Germany. He was a member of Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation (BRTK) Executive Board. Moreover, he was a member of Administrative Body of North Cyprus Atatürk Research and Implementation Centre, the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Strategic Research Centre, and Chairman of EMU Tourism Research Centre. His articles were published in many international journals.

In general elections and early general elections held on 14 December 2003 and on 20 February 2005, he was elected as a National Unity Party (UBP) MP for Gazimağusa. On 7 September 2006 he resigned from UBP and founded Freedom and Reform Party (ÖRP) on 15 September 2006. During the coalition government of Republican Turkish Party-United Forces – Freedom and Reform Party founded on 25 September 2006, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. On 19 April 2009 early general elections he was elected as a Freedom and Reform Party MP from Gazimağusa. On 30 December 2012, Freedom and Reform Party united with National Unity Party and Turgay Avcı served as National Unity Party MP at the parliament until 28 July 2013.

Avcı speaks English, Italian and Arabic. He is married and has two children.