Mustafa Akıncı

Mustafa Akıncı (born 28 December 1947) is a Turkish Cypriot politician who was the president of Northern Cyprus from April 2015 until October 2020.

Akıncı was born in Limassol on 28 December 1947.

He studied architecture at the Middle East Technical University, where he met his wife, Meral Akıncı.

He returned to Cyprus in 1973 and the couple married in 1974.

Their first child, Doğa, was born in 1975.

In 1975, Akıncı was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Turkish Cypriots.

An architect by profession, Akıncı in 1976 became the first elected mayor of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality in Northern Cyprus, at the age of 28.

He defeated a candidate endorsed by President Rauf Denktaş as the candidate of the Communal Liberation Party (TKP).

He ran as the candidate of the Communal Liberation Party for the mayorship of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality and was endorsed by the Republican Turkish Party in the Northern Cyprus local elections of 24 May 1976.

Akıncı campaigned on a platform of democratisation, using the slogan "An order of fraternity instead of an order of whips!"

(Kırbaç düzeni değil, kardeşlik düzeni).

He defeated his main rival, businessman Nevzat Uzunoğlu of the right-wing National Unity Party (UBP), who had been endorsed by historical Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş, by a margin of 1500 votes, receiving 48.99% of the votes against Uzunoğlu's 31.81%.

Following this election, he became the first elected mayor of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality, and served for an uninterrupted term of 14 years from 1976 to 1990.

In the Northern Cyprus local elections of 1 June 1980, he was re-elected with 39.98% of the votes.

In 1983, Akıncı became the first president of the newly established in Turkish-Cypriot Municipalities.

In 1985, the Communal Liberation Party (TKP) decided to join the cabinet that was ever headed by UBP leader Derviş Eroğlu.

Akıncı, who was Secretary General of TKP at the time, refused the formation of this government.

He opposed the economic policy proposed by the Turkish government under Turgut Özal, to which UBP and some ministers of the TKP had supported, and led the party to eventually opposing the agreement on the economy, a move that ended the government.

Akıncı referred Erbilen, Minister of Health at the time, to the party's disciplinary committee, which led in Erbilen's resignation from TKP.

In the election for his third term, the Northern Cyprus local elections, 1986 of 2 June 1986, the UBP mounted a vigorous campaign to take back the municipality.

Akıncı again prevailed with 46.42% of the votes, against 40.93% of the votes for Ramiz Manyera, the UBP candidate.

During his 14 years of Mayorship, he collaborated with Nicosia's then Greek-Cypriot Mayor Lellos Demetriades on the implementation of the Nicosia Sewerage Project and the Nicosia Master Plan.

Meanwhile, he rose to prominence and gained influence within his party, first becoming Secretary General and then leader in 1987.

In 1987, he was elected leader of the Communal Liberation Party, a position he would hold until 2001.

The Nicosia Master Plan received the 'World Habitat Award' in 1989 and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2007.

He held this position for an uninterrupted term of 14 years until 1990, leading several projects for the city that won him international awards including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and collaborating with his Greek Cypriot counterpart.

He served as a member of the Assembly of the Republic between 1993 and 2009 and as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State between 1999 and 2001.

Between 1993 and 2009, Akıncı served as a member of the parliament of Northern Cyprus.

In the presidential election of 15 April 1995, Akıncı ran for the presidency as the TKP candidate.

On 30 December 1998, he was appointed Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister in the sixth cabinet headed by Derviş Eroğlu, Akıncı being the head of TKP, the junior partner in the UBP-TKP coalition.

Akıncı ran for the presidency again in the presidential election of 15 April 2000 as the TKP candidate.

His leadership of the TKP ended in 2001.

He held his ministerial position until 8 June 2001, when the government fell apart.

He established the Peace and Democracy Movement in 2003 and served as its leader.

Akıncı is a long-standing advocate of the reunification of Cyprus and has opposed Turkey's increasing influence in Northern Cyprus.

Additionally, in 2003, Akıncı and Demetriades were awarded the 'Europa Nostra Medal of Honour' in recognition of their consistent and successful efforts for Nicosia and its citizens during particularly difficult times, and for the preservation of the historical and architectural environment of the Walled City.

He received 11.70% of the votes and came 3rd, behind independent Denktaş and UBP candidate Eroğlu, failing to progress to the run-off.

He received 14.23% of the votes and came 4th, behind independent Rauf Denktaş, UBP candidate Derviş Eroğlu and CTP candidate Özker Özgür.

His stance has seen strong opposition from the Turkish government in Ankara, which supported his rival Ersin Tatar in the 2020 presidential election.

Akıncı lost re-election to Tatar, taking 48% of the vote in the run-off.