Board of Trustees

He was born in Bozdoğan/Aydın in 1955. He finished his primary education in Bozdoğan. After that, he graduated from Bursa İmam Hatip (Religious) High School and Aydın High School.

He did his undergraduate degree (1978) and postgraduate degree (1980) in the Faculty of Ship Building in Istanbul Technical University. He worked as a design engineer in Turkey Ship Industry Inc. Camialtı Dockyard for 2 years. He did his military service as a Reserve Officer in Navy College Commandership of Navy Education Commandership (1981-1982).

After that, he had the following positions respectively; founder and general manager in Middle East Engineering Office (1982-1983), founder and general manager in Ensar Engineering Office (1983-1998), founder and general manager in Ensar Ship and Supplier Industry Ltd (1998 - ...), founder and board chairman in Bilge Consultancy and Publishing Ltd. (2001 - ...), founder and board chairman in Merdiven Construction and Tourism Ltd. (2009 - ...). The last 3 positions are ongoing. In addition to his business life, he has also had other positions; Member of Assembly in Maritime Chamber of Commerce; Member of Honour in Chamber of Naval Engineers; Board Member, Member of Inspectorate, Culture Council Founding Member in Maritime Industry Association; Founding Member in Dissemination of Knowledge Association; Trustee Committee Vice-President in Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University. Apart from the first position, his other positions are still ongoing. He is married with four children.

Mustafa BÜYÜKABACI - Vice President

He graduated from the Mechanical Engineering course in the Faculty of Engineering in Boğaziçi University. After graduating in 1984, BÜYÜKABACI did a master's in the same field and worked as a research assistant in the same department for a while.

As of 1989, he worked as a manager in various capital markets and investment companies.

He focused on Asset/Portfolio Management and investment, and in 1993, he joined Yıldız Holding as the founding general manager and board member of Taç Investment Partnership.

In addition, during his position in Yıldız Holding, he worked as a Capital Market and Finance Consultant in the areas of money, capital and stock markets. He also worked as a Board Member in Family Finans and other group companies.

Büyükabacı formed Bizim Marketable Securities and worked as the founding general manager and board member. In Yıldız Holding, he formed the land estates group and instituionalized the land estates operations of the group. He became the founding President for the Land Estate Group and left Yıldız Holding at the end of 2010. He is still involved in the land estate and capital markets investments with his self-owned investment company.

İsrafil KIŞLA, Vice President

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar, Rector, Member

Orhan ÖZOKUR - Member

Orhan ÖZOKUR was born in Balıkesir in 1946, finished his primary education in Üsküdar, İstanbul and graduated from Haydarpaşa High School. He completed his higher education in Şişli College of Economics and Administrative Sciences.

He served in the military as a reserve officer in Polatlı Artillery School and then in Kars Kağızman Artillery Division.

He started working in the hardware market (Hırdavatçılar Çarşısı) in Karaköy in 1960 while studying in high school. He continued to work throughout his studies at university.

In June 1973, he married Ahsen Özokur, daughter of late Sabri Ülker, founder of Ülker. He continued his career at Ülker and Yıldız Holding Group as Commercial Trading Manager and then as the Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2005.

He has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors in Ülker Golf Ice Cream Company between the dates 2005-2015.

He founded the Ülkerspor Basketball Team in 1993 and helped the team achieve various triumphs until 2005 as the President.

He is interested in many sports branches and is an avid player of tennis. He also enjoys playing the guitar and oud and serves as the president of İstanbul Music Foundation.

He is married with three kids and eight grandchildren. He prefers modesty in social conduct.

Mustafa Latif TOPBAŞ - Member

latif-topbas He was born in Istanbul in 1944. He started his business life in the textile industry in 1961 as a partner and manager in Bahariye Textile Goods Inc. In the following years, he worked as a founder and manager in various industrial and commercial companies.

Bekir Sakıb ŞAHİNOĞLU, Member

Ebubekir TİVNİKLİ - Member

Prof. İsmail ADAK - Member

He was born in Edremit (Balıkesir) on 04.01.1949. He finished his primary education in 1960, secondary education in 1963 and high school in 1966 in Konya.

In 1973, he started as an Expert Assistant in the Iron Steel department of the Feasibility group in the Engineering Inc. TÜMAŞ. In 1974, he started studying his postgraduate degree in the Faculty of Mechanical and Naval Engineering in the University of Strathclyd in Glasgow, UK. He finished his degree in 1975 and returned Turkey. The same year, he did his military service as a Reserve Officer in Isparta. In 1976, he started working as a Research Assistant in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Sunderland in Sunderland, UK. He both gave lectures and did his postgraduate studies in this university. He got his MPhil degree in the University of Sunderland in 1978 and returned Turkey.

In 1978, he founded Intra Engineering Ltd. and Aksel Cellulose and Paper Inc. In these companies, he worked in the manufacturing facilities projects on an international level, as well as doing export and import of paper, cellulose and their supplier products. In the meantime, he went back to university and became a Doctor in 1991 and an Associate Doctor in 1992 in the Faculty of Technical Education in Marmara University. Between 1992-1996 he worked as a part-time lecturer in the same faculty.

He became a Professor in 2009 and started working in the Mechanical Engineering Department in the Faculty of Engineering in Yalova University.

Prof. ADAK is in the jury of the technical journal, published by the Chamber of American Mechanical Engineers. He is also the General Secretary of Adak Türkyar-Turkish Students Charity Association (London); Trustee Committee Member for Dissemination of Knowledge Association; Board Chairman for Science Education Organizations and Trustee Committee Member for Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

He is married with three children and speaks English.

Mehmet Avni KİĞILI, Member

Sabahattin KIRKAN - Member

He was born in Adapazarı in 1939. He finished his primary and secondary education in Istanbul. He studied in Vefa High School between 1956-1957. He completed his higher education in Istanbul Technical University. In 1962, he graduated as a Senior Mechanical Engineer.

In 1962, he worked as the Production Manager in Gümüş Motor factory. Between 1962-1964, he worked as a Reserved Officer in the Military Construction Property Directorate in Sivas.

Between 1964 – 1966, he worked as a Process Manager in the Turkish Automotive Industry, between 1966 – 1967, he worked as a General Deputy Manager in Haymak Casting and Fitting industry. In the Turkish Automotive Industry, he did internship and analyses for 1 term in Germany.

In 1967, he founded KGM Heavy Mechanics Industry and Trade Inc. with his brother Nurettin KIRKAN and his classmate Yılmaz GÜRAY.

Between 1977 – 1978, he worked as an Under-secretary Assistant in the Ministry of Industry and Technology. He has been working in KGM Heavy Mechanics Industry and Trade Inc. since 1978. The company is involved in projects, production and assembly of material lifting systems.

He first started his social activities in the Economics and Culture Association. Since 1977, he has been; Board Member in the Dissemination of Knowledge Association; Execution Committee President in Hakyol Association; Trustee Committee Member and Chairman in the Dissemination of Knowledge Association; Trustee Committee Member in Fatih Knowledge and Culture Association; and Trustee Committee Member in Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

Yusuf TÜLÜN, Member

Prof. Dr. Murat YALÇINTAŞ, Member

İdris Turan İLTER, Member