( CNN ) -- Rauf Denktas , the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , died Friday in Nicosia after a long illness , the self-declared republic 's current leader announced . Denktas , 87 , was instrumental in the independence of Turkish Cyprus , which , outside of Turkey , is not recognized internationally . He became its first president in 1983 and was re-elected in 1985 , 1990 , 1995 and 2000 . `` Our sorrow is huge ... and it will be very hard for us , '' said his son , Serdar Denktas . `` We will try to overcome this sorrow with respect to his memory and with patience . ... He left us , Turkish Cypriots , and people of Anatolia as orphans , but he met with heroes who made this land a nation . '' Turkish troops invaded Cyprus in 1974 in response to a coup , engineered by Greece . The island remains divided despite years of efforts to resolve the deadlock . The southern part of the island joined the European Union on its own after unity efforts failed . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his condolences to the family and his supporters . `` Mr. Denktas was a long-serving and historic Turkish Cypriot leader with whom the United Nations had a long relationship in the framework of U.N.-facilitated talks for the reunification of Cyprus and related to its peacekeeping responsibilities on the island , '' a statement from Ban 's spokesperson said . Denktas was born in Baf , Cyprus , in 1924 and was educated in London . The lawyer eventually became active in political affairs . Outside of politics , Denktas was known for his photography , mostly of nature , and for his writings .
Cyprus : Political leader meets death . Turkish Cypriot President Abdullah Bey dies after a long illness . He was a president of the self - declared republic , recognized only by Turkey .