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Osman Ertürk Özel

Chairman of the Institute

Born in 1990, Özel graduated from Bilkent University Faculty of Law in 2013. In 2015, he completed his master’s degree in International Commercial Arbitration at Brunel University. In 2016, he established a law firm called ÖZEL Attorney Consultancy, where he continues his professional activities ÖZEL also lectures and gives seminars as a guest lecturer at various universities in the field of international commercial arbitration, and publishes in the relevant field of law. Additionally, he serves as an arbitrator at the Istanbul Arbitration Centre and TOBB UYUM, and coaches the arbitration team of Bilkent University Faculty of Law. He is the Co-Founder and Executive Board Member of Ankara Tekmer, Turkey’s first technology development centre with private sector capital, and Co-Founder and Executive Board Member of Leap Investment, a technology investment company.

E-mail

osmanerturk.ozel@toplum.org.tr

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Prof. Dr. Dilek Başar

Director of Economics Program

Başar, born in 1984, graduated from Hacettepe University, Department of Economics in 2006. In 2008, she completed her master’s thesis at Hacettepe University Institute of Social Sciences with the title “The Socio-economic Determinants of Health Outcomes: An Application Depending on the Health Production Function for OECD Countries” at Hacettepe University Institute of Social Sciences in 2008 and completed her doctoral studies at the Department of Economics, University of Sheffield in 2012 with her thesis titled “Empirical Analysis of Health and Educational Attainment in Turkey”. Currently, Başar is a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Economics, Hacettepe University. Başar’s fields of study include Health Economics, Gender Studies, Employment Market, Industrial Organisation and Applied Microeconomics.

E-mail

dilek.basar@toplum.org.tr

Dr. Mustafa Veysel Güldoğan

Director of Foreign Policy Program

Born in 1984, Güldoğan graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 2008. In 2009, Güldoğan completed his master’s degree in Political Science at Galatasaray University Institute of Social Sciences, and in 2022, he earned his doctorate from Marmara University Institute of Social Sciences Informatics Doctorate Programme with his thesis titled “Reciprocity in Cyber Warfare”. He is the Founding Partner of MVG Law Firm, Chairman of the Turkish Atlantic Council and a Board Member of Bizim Çocuklar Education and Culture Association and Turkish World Culture, Art and Cinema Foundation.

E-mail

mustafaveysel.guldogan@toplum.org.tr

Dr. Yavuz Selim Günay

Director of Law and Justice Program

Born in 1988, Günay graduated from Bilkent University Faculty of Law in 2012. In 2015, he completed his master’s thesis on Commercial Law at Gazi University Institute of Social Sciences with the study titled “Representation of Joint Stock Companies”, and in 2016, he completed a second master’s in International Commercial Law at London School of Economics and Political Sciences with a study titled “Legal, Economic and Structural Analysis of Challenging Shareholders’ Resolutions Under English, German-Turkish Law Systems”. In 2024, Günay completed his doctoral studies at Gazi University, Institute of Social Sciences, Private Law Doctorate Programme with his thesis titled “Financing of Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital in Legal Aspects”. Having worked as a lawyer in international law firms in Istanbul and Ankara, Günay practised as the Legal and Contracts Director at a leading company in the defence and IT sector from 2016 to 2020. He is currently working as a freelance lawyer and part-time lecturer.

E-mail

yavuzselim.gunay@toplum.org.tr

İmran Gürakan

Director of Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship Program

Born in 1988, Gürakan graduated from the Department of Statistics at Middle East Technical University in 2013. She received her master’s degree from the Department of Business Administration at Hacettepe University in 2017 and began her career at BNB Management in 2013. After working at Bilkent Cyberpark from 2015 to 2021, Gürakan is now the General Manager of Ankara Tekmer and Leap Investment. Gürakan also teaches undergraduate courses on technology entrepreneurship at Atılım University.

E-mail

imran.gurakan@toplum.org.tr

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asmin Kavas

Director of Urbanism Program

Born in 1986, Kavas graduated from Bilkent University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban Design and Landscape Architecture in 2008. She completed her master’s thesis on “Voluntary Environmental Organisations in Turkey”, in 2011 and her doctoral thesis on “A Research on the Relationship between Municipal Services and Voter Behaviour: The Case of Ankara Yenimahalle and Altındağ District Municipalities” at Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Urban and Environmental Sciences Program, Ankara University. Asmin Kavas joined the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) in 2015 and worked as a Policy Analyst in the Urban and Regional Studies Programmes. Currently working as a lecturer at Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Department of Urban and Environmental Problems, Kavas’ research areas are Local Governments, Urbanisation, Environmental Problems and Gender Equality.

E-mail

asmin.kavas@toplum.org.tr

Hüseyin Raşit Yılmaz

Director of Politics Program

Born in 1983, Yılmaz graduated from Selçuk University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Public Administration in 2006. In 2008, he received language training at St. Giles International in Brigton, England. He began his think tank career in 2009 as a Researcher at TEPAV, later working as a Policy Analyst at the same institution and as a Consultant at TEPAV Middle East and Central Asia Research Institute. He also worked simultaneously at TOBB BIS. Additionally, Yılmaz served as an Advisor to the President of a political party with a group in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. His articles on Turkish politics, Turkish Foreign Policy and the Turkish World have been published in both national and international outlets, and he has appeared on numerous media programmes discussing Turkish political life.

E-mail

huseyinrasit.yilmaz@toplum.org.tr

Çiğdem Gizem Okkaoğlu

Secretary General of the Institute

Okkaoğlu, born in 1991, graduated from Bilkent University, Department of Industrial Engineering in 2015. She voluntarily left the Competition Authority in 2020, where she started to work after his graduation. Following her departure from public service, she worked as a Consultant at Balcıoğlu Selçuk Ardıyok Keki Attorney Partnership and as a Senior Attorney at ELİG Gürkaynak Law Firm. Okkaoğlu continued her second undergraduate programme at Faculty of Law, Ankara University, and the Department of Economics, Anadolu University, and graduated from both in 2019. In 2022, Okkaoğlu began her Master’s Programme in European Studies with Thesis at Middle East Technical University and currently works as a Partner at Günay & Erdoğan Law Firm.

E-mail

cigdemgizem.okkaoglu@toplum.org.tr

Aykutalp Arıcı

Board Member

Born in 1990, Mr Arıcı graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Law in 2012. In 2014, Aykutalp ARICI registered to the Ankara Bar Association and started his career as a lawyer. He specializes in national and international arbitration law as well as disputes arising from commercial and contract law, while also continuing his civil society activities.

E-mail

aykutalp.arici@toplum.org.tr

Ahmet Oğuz Atalay

Board Member

Born in 1988, Atalay completed his undergraduate degree at Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Economics at Middle East Technical University in 2012, and at the Faculty of Law at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University in 2022. He earned his master’s degree from Department of Economics at Ankara University Institute of Social Sciences in 2021, with his thesis titled “The Effect of Digitalisation on Monopolisation: Netflix Case”. He is currently continuing his doctorate education in the Department of Economics at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Institute of Social Sciences. Atalay, began his career as an Inspector in a private bank in 2013, transferred to the Radio and Television Supreme Council in 2018 and started working as a Supreme Council Expert. As of 2024, he continues his career as a freelance lawyer as of 2024 and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Young Academics Education, Culture and Research Association.

E-mail

ahmetoguz.atalay@toplum.org.tr

Dr. Abdullah Çağıl

Board Member

Born in 1981, Çağıl graduated from Selçuk University Faculty of Theology in 2009. In 2014, she completed her master’s thesis titled “The Place of Women in Western Philosophy” and in 2019, she completed her doctoral thesis titled “Feminism and Politics in Western Philosophy” at Atatürk University Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Philosophy and Religious Sciences, Department of History of Philosophy. Currently, Çağıl is a faculty member at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University and her fields of study include Philosophy of Language, Hermeneutics, Semantics, Semiotics and Gender and Political Theories.

E-mail

abdullah.cagil@toplum.org.tr

Vasıf İnanç Duygulu

Board Member

Born in 1995, Duygulu graduated from Bilkent University Faculty of Law in 2019. In 2023, Duygulu completed his master’s thesis on “Presidential Government System in terms of the Transformation of the Legislative Body” at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Public Law Master’s Programme with Thesis and is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at Public Law Doctoral Programme at Hacettepe University Institute of Social Sciences. Duygulu, who is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Expression and Opinion, is also a research assistant at Karatekin University, Department of Law.

E-mail

vasifinanc.duygulu@toplum.org.tr

Merve Çakır Gök

Board Member

Born in 1985, Çakır Gök graduated from Middle East Technical University, Department of History in 2011. As part of her academic studies, she conducted research on “Political Transformation in the Contemporary Middle East” at St Antony’s College, Oxford University. Çakır Gök, whose articles have been published in national magazines and newspapers, has undertaken the role of project manager in numerous civil society organisations.

E-mail

merve.cakirgok@toplum.org.tr

Gökhan Güler

Board Member

Born in 1983, Güler graduated from Bilkent University, Department of Political Science in 2007. He began his career as a Research Assistant at Adıyaman University in 2010 and worked as a Political Advisor at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey from 2012 to 2015. Since 2016, Güler has worked for the Danish Refugee Council, GOAL an International Humanitarian Organisation and the International Rescue Committee and currently works as the Safety & Access Officer at Save The Children.

E-mail

gokhan.guler@toplum.org.tr

Timuçin Koray Güzelderen

Board Member

Born in 1990, Mr Güzelderen graduated from Middle East Technical University, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering in 2013. In 2014, he completed his MBA programme on Strategic Marketing and Finance. Mr Güzelderen worked in drilling and equipment manufacturing in the mining sector from 2013 to 2014, and then began his professional management career as Investments and Technical Manager at BDY Group Yatırım Anonim Şirketi. Mr Güzelderen served as a Member of the Board of Directors from 2016 to 2020 and as Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2020. Until 2024, Mr Güzelderen led initiatives and managed investments in the fuel and energy sector in Russia, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Dubai and London. In 2021, he joined Leap Investment as an investor and serves as an Investment Board Member at Leap Investment Technology Investment Fund. In 2022, Güzelderen published his first book “5%” on financial literacy and investment and continues to work on finance, economics and investment.

E-mail

koray.guzelderen@toplum.org.tr

Selim Koru

Board Member

Born in 1988, Koru received his BA in History from the University of Wisconsin in 2010 and his MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 2014. Koru started his professional career as a Policy Analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV). He is currently pursuing his PhD in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham and works at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI).

E-mail

selim.koru@toplum.org.tr

Yağmur Uzunırmak

Board Member

Born in 1995, Uzunırmak received her bachelor’s degree in Law from Istanbul Bilgi University in 2019 and her master’s degree in Financial Econometrics from Essex University in 2022. Uzunırmak started her professional career at Aksakallı Law Office and worked as a Researcher at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey – TEPAV from 2023 to 2024. Uzunırmak is currently continuing her studies in finance in Vienna.

E-mail

yagmur.uzunirmak@toplum.org.tr