Board of Directors

Sarp KALKAN

Chairperson

Sarp KALKAN was born in Ankara in 1981, Sarp KALKAN graduated from Department of Economics in the Middle East Technical University (METU) in 2003. Having completed MBA program in the same university in 2005, KALKAN is currently pursuing a finance doctorate program in Department of Finance in METU. He began his professional career as a Policy Analyst in the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) in 2008 and worked as an Adviser to the President at the Union of Chambers and Commerce and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (UCCCET) from 2011 to 2018. He has been serving as Deputy Secretary General at TOBB since 2018.

 

Muharrem AKYAKA

Deputy Chairperson

Muharrem AKYAKA was born in Mihalıççık/Eskişehir in 1967. He completed his primary, secondary and high school education in Ankara. He graduated from Gazi University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Labor Economics and Industrial Relations in 1987. Since 1988, he worked as an Accountant, Specialist, Service Chief, Branch Manager, and Head of Financial Affairs Department at the Turkish Grain Board (TMO). He served as a Board Member at TMO-The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (UCCET/TOBB) Agricultural Products Licensed Warehouse Inc. between 2012-2016/2022-2024. He has been serving as Turkish Grain Board Deputy General Manager since 2019 and was appointed as a Member of the Board of Directors at the Turkish Mercantile Exchange on May 15, 2024. He is married and has two children.

 

Adem BAŞAR

Member

Adem BAŞAR was born in Ordu/Korgan in 1976. He completed his elemantary and high school education in Ordu. In 1998, he graduated from Department of Public Administration in Faculty of Political Science in Ankara University. In 2010, he completed his Master’s degree in Turkey Middle East Institution of Public Administration. In 2011, he was assigned for occupational research to the United Kingdom. In same year, he started to work as a candidate internal controller at Ministry of Customs and Trade, where he later became a controller and chief controller. In 2011, he worked as a chief supervisor within abolished Ministry Customs and Trade. From 2011 to 2015, he worked as head of department at Directorate General of Domestic Trade and from 2015 to 2020, he worked as Deputy General Director. On March 3, 2020, he is appointed, as acting General Director. On December 2, 2021, he was appointed as the General Director of Domestic Trade.

Özer MATLI

Member

Özer MATLI was born in Karacabey district of Bursa in 1968. After graduating from Bursa Trade Vocational High School, he started his business career at a young age with his late father, Ömer Matlı, who was among the respected merchants and industrialists of Karacabey, due to his interest and aptitude for trade. In addition to his duties in the paddy factory and other commercial activities that were operating at that time, Matlı Yem Industry and Trade Inc. was established in 1988. He also served as the founding partner and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Matlı Yem Industry and Trade Inc.

After the death of his father Ömer Matlı in 1995, he took over the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Özer Matlı; He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Matlı Group of Companies, which started its activities in the feed sector in 1988, entered the food sector with Burdan Yumurta in 2010, and continued its growth in the food sector by acquiring Yörsan Süt and Süt Ürünleri in 2022 and Keskinoğlu Tavukçuluk company in 2023.

Özer Matlı is also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of companies in the group’s other investment areas; industry, fuel, energy, logistics and storage sectors.

Özer Matlı, who takes an active role in the management of many non-governmental organizations; he served as Vice President of the Assembly at Karacabey Chamber of Commerce and Industry between 1995-1999, as a Member of the Assembly between 1999-2005 and as Chairman of the Board of Directors between 2005-2013. Özer Matlı, who also served in TOBB Chambers of Commerce and Industry Council and the High Advisory Board, was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bursa Commodity Exchange in May 2013 and still continues this duty. Matlı also successfully served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Credit Guarantee Fund (KGF) and a Member of the Council of Commodity Exchanges for a while.

Özer Matlı, elected as a Board Member of Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (UCCET/TOBB) in 2018, served as the Chairman of the Board of Bursa Culture, Arts and Tourism Foundation between 2020-2022.

Özer Matlı represented the UCCET  Board of Directors in the UCCET  Agriculture Assembly, UCCET  Food Industry Assembly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Agricultural Advisory Board, and the National Biodiversity Coordination Board, and also served as the Co-President of the Turkey-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Özer Matlı is married and has three children.

 

Ahmet TİRYAKİOĞLU

Member

Ahmet Tiryakioğlu was born in Gaziantep in 1970. He started his professional career in 1988. In 1965, he converted the lentil business established by his father, Ali Tiryakioğlu, into a factory and enabled the transition to industrial production. Tiryakioğlu accelerated the growth of the company with this transformation; It enabled the company to reach a significant share of the domestic market in a short time.

Accelerating the growth momentum of Tiryaki Agro since the early 2000s, Ahmet Tiryakioğlu elevated the company to a leadership position in Turkey with his moves to expand abroad, enter new business lines and access international financial opportunities. Ahmet Tiryakioğlu, who added two more factories to the company in the years following Tiryaki Agro’s move to the Organized Industrial Zone, also pioneered the establishment of Turkey’s largest capacity and most modern pistachio facility in 2008. With the increase in production volume, Tiryaki Agro became the institution with the highest transaction volume in Turkey after Turkish Grain Board (TMO).

With more than 35 years of experience, Ahmet Tiryakioğlu continues to play an active role in sector organizations in addition to his responsibilities in Tiryaki Agro companies. Tiryakioğlu, who currently serves as a member of the High Advisory Board of Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (UCCET/TOBB), a member of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Anatolian Exporters’ Associations, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TMO-TOBB Agricultural Products Licensed Warehouse Inc., Chairman of the Gaziantep Commodity Exchange Assembly, Vice Chairman of Gaziantep City Council, Member of the Board of Directors of the Organic Product Producers and Industrialists Association, Chairman of Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) Grains, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Sector Board, was appointed as a Member of the Board of Directors at the Turkish Mercantile Exchange on May 15, 2024.

Ali ERDURMUŞ

Member

Ali ERDURMUŞ graduated from Bilkent University, department of Business Administration in 2003. Between 2003-2005 he served as a deputy inspector in Yapı Kredi Bankası. In 2006, he joined the Capital Markets Board of Turkey. In 2010, he finished the Master’s degree program in the field of finance at Bilkent University. Between the years 2013-2018, he served as Head of Secretarial Bureau for the Chairman in Capital Markets Board of Turkey. In 2014, he provide consultancy in the field of Financial Markets at World Bank in Washington D.C. He obtained a second Master’s degree in Public Administration and International Development at Harvard University in 2015. He served as a teaching assistant in the fields of advanced microeconomics, advanced macroeconomics, statics, econometrics, and development policy at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. In 2018 he was assigned to Head of Department of Strategy Development in Capital Markets Board of Turkey. During his career in Capital Markets Board of Turkey, he worked to increase the number of investment instruments and capital accumulation in order to encourage the development of capital markets in Türkiye. His efforts have led to the public offering of several real estate investment trusts to provide long-term capital to the markets, as well as a variety of capital-protected funds and pension funds. ERDURMUŞ, who has been serving as the Vice Chairman of the Board since 2021, was appointed as a Member of the Board of Directors at the Turkish Mercantile Exchange in June 2021.

 

Atila TÜRELİ

Member

Atila Türeli was graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 1993. In 2008, he completed his master’s degree in European Public Law and Integration Programme from Bahçeşehir University Social Sciences Institute.
In 1994, he obtained his lawyer license. He served as a judge until 2000. In 2000, he passed the exam held by Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) and started to work as a lawyer at Legal Consultancy Department. He worked at all levels in the same department between 2000 and 2012. He served as the Manager of the Member Affairs Department between 2012-2014, as the Manager of the Compliance Department between 2014-2016, and as the Chief Legal Counsel between 2016-2023. Currently, he is the Deputy General Manager of Borsa Istanbul and a General Assembly Member of the Istanbul Arbitration Centera. He has expert mediation certificates in various branches of law.