Born in Konya in 1952, Safai Özer graduated from Konya Maarif College before pursuing his studies in Architecture at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Selçuk University. After receiving his diploma in 1975 and completing his military service, he began his career as an independent architect. In 1980, he moved to Antalya, where he expanded his creative horizons into furniture design and production. In 1990, he founded the Kaleiçi Sanatevi (Art House) in the historic heart of Antalya. Driven by a deep connection to nature, he settled in a forest village in Burdur in 1994, eventually returning to urban life in 2013 to dedicate himself to his foundation project.

His literary journey began with his first book published in 1970, followed by five more published works. In 1972, he held his first solo photography exhibition. He was a prominent member of Group A and one of the founders of ANFAD (Antalya Association of Amateur Photography and Cinema). His excellence in photography was recognized with a first-prize award in the State Photography Competition by the Ministry of Culture. Since 1993, he graced the art world with 37 solo painting exhibitions.

From 2015 until March 2022, Safai Özer served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the EGET Foundation. In March 2022, he passed away following a sudden illness.

Özlem Uzman was born in Konya in 1968. She completed her primary, secondary and high school education there. In 1985, she was admitted to the Department of English Language and Literature at Hacettepe University. She continued her studies at Boğaziçi University and graduated in 1991. She then attended the Certificate Program in International Management at Istanbul University for one year. She gained professional experience in the IT, aviation and construction sectors. She later held managerial roles for many years in marketing and product management. She went to Troy State University in the United States to pursue an MBA and returned to Türkiye after one year due to family reasons.

In 2004, she founded the Bliss brand and established her own business in the women’s hosiery sector. In 2010, she expanded her entrepreneurial activities by launching the Evcilik brand in the giftware sector. In 2013, she moved to Muğla and initiated the establishment of the EGET Foundation. She has been serving as Chair of the Board of Directors of the EGET Foundation since 2015. She has one daughter.

He graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1990. He completed his specialization training in 1995 and became a General Surgery specialist. He has been working as a General Surgery specialist in public hospitals in Muğla since 1996. He served as the President of the Muğla Medical Chamber and the President of the Muğla City Council. He is a member of the High Honor Board of the Turkish Medical Association. He has a good command of English.

Lawyer Dr. Nazım Tural graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Law in 1980 and left the university in 1986. He worked for over twenty years at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's Turkey Representative Office. During this period, he conducted training programs in Turkish and English on various aspects of the European Union, the Enlightenment, and the Western democratization process, as well as on multicultural societies, minorities, identities, and human rights.

In September 2023, he completed his doctoral program with a thesis on "Constitutional Arrangements in Multicultural Societies," and is currently retired but remains a member of the Istanbul Bar Association.

Agricultural Engineer (MSc) | Manager of the Commercial Enterprise of the EGET Foundation | Member of the Board of Trustees

She completed her undergraduate studies in 2018 at Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. In 2021, she obtained her master’s degree from the Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Soil Science at the same university. She is currently pursuing her PhD in the same field.

Her academic work focuses on ecological agriculture and the sustainable management of soil resources. She develops projects aimed at rehabilitating degraded lands and bringing them into production through natural methods. She also takes an active role in the development of permaculture practices and ecological production models carried out within the Foundation.

Since the establishment of the EGET Foundation, she has been a member of its Board of Trustees. Since 2018, she has been serving as an Agricultural Engineer and Manager within the commercial enterprise of the EGET Foundation. She is also a member of the Education and Scholarship Committee, where she takes part in the evaluation and interview processes of scholarship applicants. Within the scope of her work at the Foundation, she oversees the development of agricultural strategies and the management of operational processes. As of 2026, she is involved as a researcher in the HEEFTA project (Holistic Environmental Education from Training to Action), supported by the European Union Interreg NEXT MED Programme.

Çiğdem Kuş / Dr. Chemist | Responsible Technical Manager at EGET Foundation Economic Enterprise / Application Consultant (IT) at EGET Agriculture and Tourism Limited Company - Occupational Health and Safety Specialist / Member of the Board of Trustees

Born in Tekirdağ in 1986. After completing her undergraduate education in 2009, she worked as a paid teacher in schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. In 2014, she completed her Master's degree in Analytical Chemistry at Ankara University, Institute of Science. In 2014, she received the title of Class C Occupational Health and Safety Specialist. In 2020, she completed her doctorate in Chemistry at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Institute of Science. She has been a member of the EGET Foundation Board of Trustees since 2015. She is a member of the Education Scholarship Committee within the EGET Foundation. She participates in the evaluation and interview processes of scholarship candidates.

I was born in Muğla in 1959. I completed my primary and secondary education in Muğla, and my high school education at Nazilli Teacher Training High School (a boarding school) and Muğla Turgut Reis High School. I started my undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering at METU (Middle East Technical University), but left it unfinished and graduated from Muğla Business Administration College in 1984.

While attending Business Administration College, I entered the business world by trading agricultural and forestry products unique to Muğla both domestically and internationally. I also took my place in political life. I got married in 1992 and am the father of a daughter. My business life continued with running a kiosk and later as a real estate consultant. Until I ended my commercial life in 2023, I served two terms as the chairman of the disciplinary board, chairman of the professional committee, and as a member of the assembly at the Muğla Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I represented MUTSO (Muğla Chamber of Commerce and Industry) for eleven years in the Muğla Provincial Human Rights Board. I have been involved in EGET (Aegean Economic and Social Research Institute) since its establishment, and I have continued to serve as a member of its board of trustees ever since. Because I believe that environmentally friendly production is crucial for the sustainable development of Muğla, I also work as a volunteer at the Muğla Environmental Platform (MUÇEP).

Zekiye Serpil Turan was born in Edirne in 1963. After completing her secondary education in Edirne, she worked in the fields of public relations, marketing, promotion, and organization.

Since 1997, Turan has been working at the Turkish Community Services Foundation (EGET), another non-governmental organization; she has been a member of the EGET Foundation Board of Trustees for many years. She is married and has one child.

Mehmet KAYA

Journalist / Economy Correspondent / Permanent Press Card Holder

Born in 1973 in Gölhisar, Burdur, Mehmet Kaya graduated from the Department of Public Relations and Promotion at the Faculty of Communication, Gazi University, in 1994. Since then, he has served as an economy correspondent for various media outlets in Ankara. He initially contributed to the EGET Foundation as a volunteer and subsequently became a member of the Board of Trustees.

He began his career in journalism in 1992 as an intern at Fotospor. Following this period, he worked as an economy correspondent at the İKA News Agency, the magazines Barem and Yankı, Günaydın newspaper, Kanal E TV, Akşam newspaper, and TV8. Between 1994 and 2007, he managed the communications departments of TOBB University of Economics and Technology and the KOOP-İŞ Trade Union, respectively. In November 2007, he returned to active journalism at Dünya newspaper. In 2022, he joined NB EKONOMİ newspaper, established by the same editorial team, where he continues his professional work today.

Between 2003 and 2013, he served as a Board Member, Treasurer, and Vice President of the Association of Economy Correspondents (EMD). He was elected as the President of the Association of Economy Correspondents for the 2024–2027 term. He is also a member of the Ankara Journalists Association and the Contemporary Journalists Association.

Prof. Dr. Aylin Çiğdem Köne

Prof. Dr. Aylin Çiğdem Köne completed her undergraduate studies at the Department of Economics, Marmara University. She earned her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the same university, specializing in Development Economics.

She began her professional career in the banking sector, serving as Assistant Inspector, Inspector, and Branch Manager, respectively. Since 2004, she has been a faculty member at the Department of Economics, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University. Her primary research interests include sustainable development and the social and solidarity economy. She is also the founder of the Social Economy Platform (Sosyal Ekonomi), a digital hub dedicated to publishing and research centered on the social and solidarity economy.