Efstathios "Tassos" Nikolaou Papadopoulos (Greek: Ευστάθιος (Τάσσος) Νικολάου Παπαδόπουλος; 7 January 1934 – 12 December 2008)[1][2] 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.

[3] 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.

Papadopoulos attended the Ayios Kassianos and Elenio primary schools in Nicosia and then the Pancyprian Gymnasium.

His father's circle which included lawyers and judges, were influential on his future career and he went on to study law at King's College London before becoming a barrister-at-law through Gray's Inn.

Papadopoulos returned to Cyprus on 20 March 1955, ten days before the start of EOKA's armed struggle against British colonialism.

At first he joined EOKA and became regional chief of operations in Nicosia, whilst Polycarpos Yiorkadjis was held captive.

Furthermore he represented the Greek Cypriot community in many recourses by Cyprus filed at the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

He campaigned for the 2003 presidential election on a platform that he would be able to secure a better deal over the Cyprus dispute than the incumbent Glafcos Clerides.

[13] Before the 2004 Annan Plan Referendum he urged Greek Cypriots to vote No, declaring "I received a state.

Papadopoulos had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital on 22 November for the disease.