Rauf Alp Denktaş

Rauf Alp Denktaş joined the Turkish Foreign Service in 2001 and started his diplomatic career in the Department of NATO and Western European Union Affairs.

In 2003, he was assigned to the Turkish Embassy in Bucharest, Romania for two years as Third Secretary followed by a three-year-term in the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv, where he served as Second Secretary.

Upon returning to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2008, Denktaş worked at the Middle East Desk as a First Secretary responsible for Türkiye-Israel and Türkiye-Palestine relations, and for Türkiye’s contributions to the Middle East Peace Process.

In 2010, he was posted to Washington, D.C. as Counsellor and Embassy Spokesman. In 2011, he also assumed the position of Chief Congressional Liaison to the U.S. Congress.

Returning to Ankara in November 2013, he assumed his duties as the Head of Department for NATO and Euro-Atlantic Security at the Foreign Ministry.

In October 2015, he was appointed to the Permanent Mission of Türkiye to the UN as First Counsellor. He represented Türkiye in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) and followed related files at the Security Council as well as Eastern Europe, Latin America and Cyprus. He was elected as Vice Chair of the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) for its 2017 session.

In 2018, Denktaş was promoted to the rank of Deputy Permanent Representative.

Between October 2019 and September 2023, he served as Minister Plenipotentiary - Deputy Director General for Multilateral Economic Affairs at the Foreign Ministry.

Denktaş was appointed Türkiye’s Ambassador to Poland and has assumed his duties in Warsaw in October 2023.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bilkent University in Ankara and a master’s degree in international relations from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

Denktaş is married with a son and a daughter.