Tassos Papadopoulos

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Tassos Papadopoulos was a Cypriot politician and lawyer who served as the 5th President of Cyprus from 2003 to 2008. Born in Nicosia on 7 January 1934, he studied law at King’s College London and became a barrister in Nicosia. In the 1950s he joined the EOKA struggle against British rule and later led PEKA, the political wing of EOKA. He helped shape Cyprus’s early post-independence politics and was known as one of the island’s strongest advocates for a hard position on reunification.

Papadopoulos held many government posts after independence, including the youngest minister in Cypriot history, serving in roles such as Interior, Labour, Finance, Health, and Agriculture. He briefly led the House of Representatives in 1976 and later served as a long-time member of parliament. He was also a key figure in the Democratic Party, leading the party from 2000 to 2006.

In 2003 he won the presidency with a slim majority and campaigned on negotiating a better deal on the Cyprus dispute. He urged Greek Cypriots to vote against the 2004 Annan Plan for reunification. He was unable to secure a second term in 2008, finishing third in the first round and conceding defeat.

Papadopoulos was married to Fotini Georkadji since 1972, and they had two children, Nikolas and Anastasia. He died of small cell lung cancer on 12 December 2008 in Nicosia, aged 74, after a period of illness.