Glafcos Clerides

Glafcos Clerides
Γλαύκος Κληρίδης
Official portrait, 1993
4th President of Cyprus
In office 28 February 1993 – 28 February 2003
Preceded by	George Vassiliou
Succeeded by	Tassos Papadopoulos
In office 23 July 1974 – 7 December 1974 Acting
Preceded by	Nikos Sampson (acting)
Succeeded by	Makarios III
1st President of the House of Representatives
In office 16 August 1960 – 19 September 1976
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Tassos Papadopoulos
1st President of DISY
In office 1976–1993
Succeeded by	Yiannakis Matsis
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 16 August 1960 – 19 September 1976
Constituency	Nicosia
In office 4 June 1981 – 27 February 1993
Constituency	Nicosia
Personal details
Born	(1919-04-24)24 April 1919 Nicosia, British Cyprus (now Cyprus)
Died	15 November 2013(2013-11-15) (aged 94) Nicosia, Cyprus
Political party	Patriotic Front (1959–1969) Eniaion (1969–1976) Democratic Rally (from 1976)
Spouse	Lila Erulkar ​ ​ (m. 1947; died 2007)​
Alma mater	King's College London
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1942-1944

Glafcos Ioannou Clerides (Greek: Γλαύκος Ιωάννου Κληρίδης; 24 April 1919 – 15 November 2013) was a Cypriot statesman, who served as President of Cyprus in 1974 and from 1993 to 2003.

A barrister and former Royal Air Force pilot, Clerides played an important role in the Cypriot struggle for independence, first as a member of the anti-colonial guerilla organization EOKA and later in the drafting of the country's constitution. He then served as the first Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1960 to 1976, and briefly took over the presidency of Cyprus on an interim basis following the failure of the 1974 coup, overseeing the island's defence amidst the Turkish invasion. Clerides founded the center-right Democratic Rally in 1976 and won the presidential election as its candidate in 1993, before securing a second term in 1998. He failed to win a third term in 2003. As President, Clerides presided over a period of significant economic growth and was instrumental in Cyprus' accession to the European Union. Widely respected for his political and legal acumen, he remained an influential figure in Cypriot politics until his death in 2013.