The Most Famous

POLITICIANS from Cyprus

This page contains a list of the greatest Cypriot Politicians. The pantheon dataset contains 19,576 Politicians, 29 of which were born in Cyprus. This makes Cyprus the birth place of the 81st most number of Politicians behind Azerbaijan, and Nepal.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Cypriot Politicians of all time. This list of famous Cypriot Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Cypriot Politicians.

1. Ptolemy XII Auletes (-117 - -51)

With an HPI of 71.94, Ptolemy XII Auletes is the most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 47 different languages on wikipedia.

Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysus (Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Νέος Διόνυσος, romanized: Ptolemaios Neos Dionysos, lit. 'Ptolemy the new Dionysus' c. 117 – 51 BC) was a king of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt who ruled from 80 to 58 BC and then again from 55 BC until his death in 51 BC. He was commonly known as Auletes (Αὐλητής, "the Flautist"), referring to his love of playing the flute in Dionysian festivals. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, he was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. Ptolemy XII was an illegitimate son of Ptolemy IX by an uncertain mother. In 116 BC, Ptolemy IX became co-regent with his mother, Cleopatra III. However, he was forced into a civil war against his mother and his brother, Ptolemy X, leading to his exile in 107 BC. Cleopatra III sent her grandsons to Kos in 103 BC. They were captured by Mithridates VI of Pontus probably in 88 BC, around the time Ptolemy IX returned to the Egyptian throne. After their father died in 81 BC, Ptolemy XII's half-sister Berenice III took the throne. She was soon murdered by her husband and co-regent, Ptolemy XI, who was then killed. At this point, Ptolemy XII was recalled from Pontus and proclaimed pharaoh, while his brother, also named Ptolemy, was installed as king of Cyprus. Ptolemy XII married his relative Cleopatra V, who was likely one of his sisters or cousins; they had at least one child together, Berenice IV, and Cleopatra V was likely also the mother of his second daughter, Cleopatra VII. The king's three youngest children – Arsinoe IV, Ptolemy XIII, and Ptolemy XIV – were born to an unknown mother. Ptolemy XII's uncle Ptolemy X had left Egypt to Rome in the event there were no surviving heirs, making Roman annexation of Egypt a possibility. In an effort to prevent this, Ptolemy XII established an alliance with Rome late into his first reign. Rome annexed Cyprus in 58 BC, causing Ptolemy of Cyprus to commit suicide. Shortly afterwards, Ptolemy XII was deposed by the Egyptian people and fled to Rome, and his eldest daughter, Berenice IV, took the throne. With Roman funding and military assistance, Ptolemy XII recaptured Egypt and had Berenice IV killed in 55 BC. He named his daughter Cleopatra VII as his co-regent in 52 BC. He died the next year and was succeeded by Cleopatra VII and her brother Ptolemy XIII as joint rulers.

2. Makarios III (1913 - 1977)

With an HPI of 68.11, Makarios III is the 2nd most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 52 different languages.

Makarios III (Greek: Μακάριος Γ΄; born Michael Christodoulou Mouskos [Μιχαήλ Χριστοδούλου Μούσκος]; 13 August 1913 – 3 August 1977) was a Greek Cypriot archbishop, primate, statesman and politician who served as the first President of Cyprus between 1960 and July 1974, with a second term between December 1974 and 1977. He was also the Archbishop of the autocephalous Church of Cyprus from 1950 to 1977. He is widely regarded as the founding father, or "Ethnarch", of the Republic of Cyprus, leading its transition from British colonial rule.

3. Nicos Anastasiades (b. 1946)

With an HPI of 63.47, Nicos Anastasiades is the 3rd most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 64 different languages.

Nicos Anastasiades (Greek: Νίκος Αναστασιάδης [ˈnikos anastasiˈaðis]; born 27 September 1946) is a Cypriot politician and businessperson, who served as the seventh president of Cyprus from 2013 to 2023. Previously, he was the leader of Democratic Rally between 1997 and 2013 and served as Member of Parliament from Limassol between 1981 and 2013. Having served in parliament for over three decades, Anastasiades was elected to the presidency in 2013 amid a deep economic crisis. He responded by negotiating a bail-out agreement with the Troika group, consisting of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund. This required the island to generally cut public spending, though his administration remediated this by attracting significant foreign investment and then increasing the minimum wage, improving the economy. He was re-elected in 2018. Anastasiades' foreign policy involved the greatest unification talks since 2004, but ultimately failed to reach an agreement. Another considerable legacy of his presidency is his longstanding relationship with Russia, dating back prior to his election due to his law firm that focussed on Russian clientele. Anastasiades signed several agreements to promote closer economic and financial ties with Moscow, turning Cyprus into a vehicle for Russian oligarchs to register their assets there and avoid international sanctions implemented since 2014. Coupled with the controversial investment-for-citizenship program, this created a perception of corruption, something that his supporters have denied, and he reversed his policies drastically following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was mentioned in the Panama Papers, Troika Laundromat, and Cyprus Papers leaks.

4. Rauf Denktaş (1924 - 2012)

With an HPI of 61.93, Rauf Denktaş is the 4th most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Rauf Raif Denktaş (27 January 1924 – 13 January 2012) was a Turkish Cypriot politician, barrister and jurist who served as the founding president of Northern Cyprus. He occupied this position as the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus between the declaration of the de facto state by Denktaş in 1983 and 2005, as the president of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus between 1975 and 1983 and as the president of the Autonomous Turkish Cypriot Administration between 1974 and 1975. He was also elected in 1973 as the vice-president of the Republic of Cyprus.

5. Tassos Papadopoulos (1934 - 2008)

With an HPI of 60.35, Tassos Papadopoulos is the 5th most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Efstathios "Tassos" Nikolaou Papadopoulos (Greek: Ευστάθιος (Τάσσος) Νικολάου Παπαδόπουλος; 7 January 1934 – 12 December 2008) was a Cypriot politician and barrister, who served as President of Cyprus from 2003 to 2008. An experienced member of the Makarios III’s cabinet, Papadopoulos took charge of the country’s parliament in 1976, two years after the Turkish invasion, and became one the island’s most notable proponents of a hardline position on Cypriot reunification. It was this sentiment that he successfully employed as a candidate in the 2003 presidential election, after which he directed the population to reject the Annan Plan. However, his inability to negotiate an alternative contributed to his failure to win re-election in 2008, despite generally maintaining high approval ratings during his presidency.

6. Alparslan Türkeş (1917 - 1997)

With an HPI of 58.40, Alparslan Türkeş is the 6th most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Alparslan Türkeş (Turkish pronunciation: [alˈpaɾsɫan tyɾˈceʃ]; 25 November 1917 – 4 April 1997) was a Turkish politician, who was the founder and president of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Grey Wolves (Ülkü Ocakları). He ran the Grey Wolves training camps from 1968 to 1978. More than 600 people are said to have fallen victim of political murders by the Grey Wolves between 1968 and 1980. He represented the far-right of the Turkish political spectrum. He was and still is called Başbuğ ("Leader") by his devotees.

7. Henry I of Cyprus (1217 - 1253)

With an HPI of 58.03, Henry I of Cyprus is the 7th most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Henry I of Cyprus, nicknamed the Fat (French: Henri de Lusignan; 3 May 1217 – 18 January 1253 at Nicosia) was King of Cyprus from 1218 to 1253. He was the son of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Champagne. When his father Hugh I died on January 10, 1218, the 8-month-old Henry became king. His mother was the official regent, but delegated governing to her uncle, Philip of Ibelin. When Philip died, the effective regency passed to his brother, John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut.

8. Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus (1155 - 1196)

With an HPI of 57.98, Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus is the 8th most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Isaac Doukas Komnenos (or Ducas Comnenus, c. 1155 – 1195/1196) was a claimant to the Byzantine Empire and the ruler of Cyprus from 1185 to 1191. Contemporary sources commonly refer to him as the emperor of Cyprus. He lost the island to King Richard I of England during the Third Crusade.

9. Charlotte, Queen of Cyprus (1442 - 1487)

With an HPI of 57.94, Charlotte, Queen of Cyprus is the 9th most famous Cypriot Politician. Her biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Charlotte (28 June 1444 – 16 July 1487) was the Queen of Cyprus from 1458 until 1464. She was the eldest and only surviving daughter of King John II of Cyprus and Helena Palaiologina. At the age of 14, she succeeded to the Cypriot throne upon the death of her father. Her illegitimate half-brother, James, challenged her right to the crown. With the support of the Egyptians, he forced her to flee the island in 1463, and he was later crowned king. She made a military attempt to regain her throne, but was unsuccessful, and died childless in Rome.

10. Peter I of Cyprus (1328 - 1369)

With an HPI of 57.70, Peter I of Cyprus is the 10th most famous Cypriot Politician. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Peter I (9 October 1328 – 17 January 1369) was King of Cyprus and titular King of Jerusalem from his father's abdication on 24 November 1358 until his death in 1369. He was invested as titular Count of Tripoli in 1346. As King of Cyprus, he had some military successes, but he was unable to complete many of his plans due to internal disputes that culminated in his assassination at the hands of three of his knights.

People

Pantheon has 32 people classified as Cypriot politicians born between 117 BC and 1973. Of these 32, 10 (31.25%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Cypriot politicians include Nicos Anastasiades, Ersin Tatar, and Mustafa Akıncı. The most famous deceased Cypriot politicians include Ptolemy XII Auletes, Makarios III, and Rauf Denktaş. As of April 2024, 3 new Cypriot politicians have been added to Pantheon including Hugh II of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and Ünal Üstel.