Derviş Eroğlu

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Dr. Derviş Eroğlu (born 1938) was Prime Minister of the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) from 1985 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2004, and leader of the National Unity Party.

Born in Famagusta, Cyprus in 1938, he studied medicine at Istanbul University, Turkey.

He entered the Assembly of the Republic of Northern Cyprus of the then-Turkish Federated State of Northern Cyprus in 1976, serving as Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports during 1976-77. He served as a member of the de facto TRNC Constituent Assembly in November of 1983. As the leader of the National Unity Party, he was appointed TRNC Prime Minister in four successive governments between 1985 and 1993 (He was opposition leader between 1994 and 1996), and from 1996 until his party lost the general election to the Republican Turkish Party under Mehmet Ali Talat in 2004. He is the current Leader of the parliamentary opposition.

On November 21, 2005, Eroğlu resigned as leader of the National Unity Party, stating that "it was time for younger blood to take control".

Eroğlu is married, has four children and three grandchildren.

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