
Dr Fazıl Küçük, Vice-President of the Republic of Cyprus (1959-1963)
'Fazıl Küçük' (
1906 -
January 15,
1984) was the first
Turkish Cypriot Vice President of the
Republic of Cyprus.
Fazıl Küçük, the son of a farmer, was born in
Nicosia in 1906. After graduating from the Turkish High School in Nicosia, Küçük went on to study medicine at the Universities of
Istanbul,
Lausanne and
Paris. Having returned to Cyprus in
1937, he started a practice, but his interest in politics soon led to him to become a voice for Turkish Cypriot rights. In
1941 Küçük founded the newspaper ''Halkin Sesi'' (The Voice of the People) and became the managing editor. Due to his campaign against the
British colonial administration, his paper was not given a permit for publication until
1942, the paper is still being published in
TRNC to this day.
In
1943, he became one of the founders of the ''Kıbrıs Adası; Türk Azınlık Kurumu'' (Association of the Turkish Minority of the Island of Cyprus - known as KATAK). The aim of the party was to promote the social, economic and political well being of the Turkish Cypriot people. Due to disagreements with some of its members, Küçük parted with KATAK and established the ''Kıbrıs Türk Milli Birlik Partisi'' (Turkish Cypriot National Union Party). Following a 15 year struggle, Küçük helped for the transfer of the ''Evkaf'' (a Turkish religious fund)from British to Turkish Cypriot control.
During the
1959 London and Zurich Conferences for the creation of an independent Republic of Cyprus, Küçük represented the Turkish Cypriot community and was able to secure constitutional safeguards for the people. On
December 3,
1959 Küçük was elected Vice President of the new Republic. Following
Greek Cypriot attempts to modify the constitution (see
Cyprus dispute). Küçük continued as the Vice President of the Republic of Cyprus until