Cyprus's leader, Denktash health deteriorates

Veteran Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash was in "critical" condition on Thursday as a respiratory problem complicated his treatment following an embolic stroke, doctors said. "Lung respiration deteriorated during the day ... His condition is stable but critical," said Finn Rasmussen, part of a medical team treating Denktash in the northern sector of the island's divided capital Nicosia. The 87-year-old, who retired in 2005, was hospitalised late on Tuesday after an embolic stroke, suffering significant loss of mobility on his left side and a sporadically blurred consciousness. The lung complication "has reversed the positive outlook of yesterday," another doctor, Erkan Kaptanoglu, said, adding that Dektash was receiving respiratory support. The problem was an "undesired but expected" development, he said, adding that doctors still hoped that "a stronger treatment will turn the trend to positive." A British-educated lawyer, Denktash represented the Turkish Cypriot community for more than 40 years, half of them as president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, self-proclaimed in 1983 and recognised only by Ankara. A devoted Turkish nationalist while in office, he saw Turkish Cypriots ignore his advice and vote overwhelmingly in favour of a UN-drafted reunification plan in April 2004, which led him not to stand for re-election the next year. The peace plan failed as it was rejected by a large majority of Greek Cypriots and Cyprus entered the European Union still a divided island. The Mediterranean resort island has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup aimed at union with Greece.