Biography

Vedat Çelik was born in the village of Çakırlar (Tera), in the Baf district, in 1935. After completing his secondary school education at the English School in Lefkoşa, he continued his higher education at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, where he graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science.

In 1961, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Cyprus Republic and was appointed as the First Secretary/Consular to the Embassy in Ankara, where he served until 1967. Upon returning to Cyprus in 1968, Çelik, following his short-term duty at the Defense and Foreign Relations Department of the Turkish Administration, was appointed as the Speaker of the Turkish Communal Chamber and Undersecretary to the Vice Presidency of Cyprus Turkish Administration. On 12 March 1973, he was appointed as a member of the Cyprus Turkish Administration, Commerce, Industry and Tourism Executive Board. Following the declaration of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the General Elections of 20 June 1976, he was elected as National Unity Party MP for Girne. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs. His term as a Member of Parliament ended on 13 July 1981.

He speaks English and Greek. He is married and has three children.