A commemoration ceremony for Rauf Denktas held in New York

NEW YORK (A.A) - A commemoration ceremony was held on Friday at Turkish House in New York for the founding President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas. A documentary film about life of Denktas was screened in the commemoration hosted by the Turkish consulate general in New York. Consul General Levent Bilgen said that Denktas would always be remembered with his great efforts to preserve Turkish Cypriot presence. Turkey's Permanent Representative to UN Ertugrul Apakan said that Denktas was an important and hardworking leader. Denktas died at the age of 88 in TRNC on January 13. He was laid to eternal rest on January 17 at the Republic Park in the TRNC capital of Lefkosa. Denktas had a partial paralysis caused by an embolism on May 24, 2011. After his first surgery in Lefkosa, he underwent another operation at Ankara's GATA on August 25. Rauf Denktas was taken to TRNC on August 30, and his treatment continued at the Near East University Hospital. Denktas underwent another surgery at the hospital on September 5 due to an increasing cerebral hemorrhage. Denktas was hospitalized again on January 8 after experiencing diarrhea and asthenia.