Former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas, who passed away Jan 13 at the age of 87, will be laid to rest in Cumhuriyet Park in Nicosia tomorrow with a state ceremony, according to a decision from the Turkish Cypriot Cabinet.

The late statesman’s son, Serdar Denktas, said yesterday that a monument would also be built for his father, Anatolia news agency reported. A funeral ceremony for Turkish Cyprus’ founding president will begin today while he will be laid to rest tomorrow. Schools and public buildings will be shut for tomorrow’s funeral in the Turkish Cypriot capital Nicosia, while all official events will be canceled and flags will fly at half-mast, Turkish Cypriot official Osman Ertug said Jan. 14.

Top Turkish leaders will fly to Turkish Cyprus for the funeral to pay their last respects to the legendary leader. President Abdullah Gul, Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Cicek, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu are expected to attend, Turkish Cypriot President Dervis Eroglu said. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s participation is also “very likely,” he added. The leaders of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Devlet Bahceli, respectively, also said they would be in Nicosia tomorrow for the funeral, along with the chairmen of the Democrat Party (DP) and the Democratic Left Party (DSP).

In Ankara, the government announced a period of national mourning until Denktas is laid to rest and ordered all flags, at home and at Turkish missions abroad, to fly at half-mast. Erdogan, who had at times chided Denktas, voiced “profound sadness” over his death, saying, “His ideals will live on forever on [Turkish Cypriot] soil, to which he dedicated his life.” Gul said the Turkish nation had lost “a true hero” and described Turkish Cyprus as Denktas’s “greatest legacy” for his people. “A just and lasting settlement in Cyprus will be the most significant achievement to keep Denktas’s memory alive,” he said. The General Staff also issued a message to honor “a true Turkish nationalist” who “embraced the Turkish soldiers [in Turkish Cyprus] with a fatherly affection.” The Turkish military “will be a follower in keeping his ideals alive,” it added.

TRIBUTES POURING IN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR DENKTAS

Denktas’ political opponents from across the Cypriot divide also paid respects to the late leader, with Greek Cypriot President Demetris Christofias saying, “We can’t agree naturally with Rauf Denktas’s vision, that’s reality, but it would be wrong at this time to make generalizations and accuse Denktas.”

The United States, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and others also offered their condolences.

The United States expresses its condolences to the Denktas family and the Turkish Cypriot community for the loss of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas, according to a message released by the US Embassy in Nicosia’s northern side. It was also stated in the message that US is continuing its commitment to help finding a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue for the benefit of “all Cypriots.”

Ban’s spokesperson’s office said, “The secretary-general was saddened to learn of the passing of Rauf Denktas late Friday. Mr. Denktas was a long-serving and historic Turkish Cypriot leader with whom the United Nations had a long relationship in the framework of UN-facilitated talks for the reunification of Cyprus and related to its peacekeeping responsibilities on the island. The secretary-general expresses his condolences to the family of the late Mr. Denktas as well as to all Turkish Cypriots.”

The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Ihsanoglu offered condolences as well. In his statement, Ihsanoglu described President Denktas as a historic leader and unforgettable hero of the Islamic and Turkish world and underlined that in his struggle for peace and stability for his country, President Denktas had been a role model for many politicians, particularly thanks to his wise and intelligent approach as well as integrity.