Meet the Team of Yücel Cultural Foundation

Born in Istanbul in 1953, Haluk Kula graduated from the Department of Press, Publishing and Public Relations at Istanbul University and later studied at the Academy of Business Sciences. He specialized in exterior insulation and the restoration of old buildings and historical monuments.

Before retiring, he taught “Facility Management” at Istanbul University for seven years. He has also designed numerous websites and developed various projects in digital communications. He currently serves as the volunteer Secretary General of Yücel Cultural Foundation.

Born in Istanbul in 1986, Aslıcan Kömeçoğlu graduated from the Department of Environmental Engineering at Kocaeli University. After gaining experience in the private sector, she joined Yücel Cultural Foundation in 2018.

Kömeçoğlu oversees the scholarship recipient selection and evaluation processes and manages communication with Regional Directorates of Foundations, banks and other official institutions. She also coordinates correspondence received through the Foundation’s email system.

A mother of two, Kömeçoğlu is recognized for her meticulous approach to workplace organization and order and carries out her responsibilities with a strong sense of accountability.

Born in 1995, Ece Dikmenli holds degrees in Labor Economics and Industrial Relations from Sakarya University and Management Information Systems from Anadolu University. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Journalism at Sakarya University and completing her master’s thesis in Social Policy.

She has held various roles in media and human resources, gaining experience at CNN Türk, Otokoç, Poldy Software and TV100. She also has entrepreneurial experience in social media. For the past 10 years, she has served as a licensed table official for the Turkish Basketball Federation at both national and international levels.

Since joining Yücel Cultural Foundation in 2023, Ece Dikmenli has worked as Social Media and Events Coordinator, developing artist and university collaborations while contributing to press relations, promotional activities and venue rental processes. She manages all of the Foundation’s social media communications.

Born in Istanbul in 1989, Ekremcan Bakır graduated from Kadıköy Anatolian High School and completed his bachelor’s degree in International Trade at Boğaziçi University. He also studied Sociology, Human Resources Management, Culinary Arts, Web Design and Coding, and Visual Communication Design at Anadolu University, as well as Spanish Language and Literature at Istanbul Medeniyet University.

After completing his bachelor’s degree, he joined Divan A.Ş. (Koç Group). He worked as a reporting clerk, production planning specialist and human resources specialist, focusing on training and development, organizational development and employee engagement. He also coordinated the Simphony project as part of Koç Holding’s digital transformation goals.

From 2012 to 2021, he volunteered as the human resources coordinator of a team whose joint project with Yücel Cultural Foundation, “Voices of Cultures,” brought him into contact with the Foundation. In 2019, he began working there part-time as a project coordinator.

Since 2021, Ekremcan has worked full-time at the Foundation, coordinating the team and internal operations while also taking an active role in the organization and programming of the performance center, research and development, website management, translation, digital marketing and video editing.

Born in Istanbul in 1974, Enis Ertuna completed his undergraduate studies at Marmara University’s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and earned a master’s degree in International Finance at the same university. He holds several certificates in personal development, including body language, time management and management skills.

He held roles in finance, sales and management at institutions such as Denizbank, BilgeAdam IT Services and MESAM (Turkish Musical Work Owners’ Society). He began working with Yücel Cultural Foundation in 2019 and played an important role in the development of bursverenler.org.

He retired in 2024 but soon returned to an active role and continues to contribute to inter-foundation collaborations and the coordination of scholarship processes.

Gözde Kaya graduated from Kocaeli University’s Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies in 2019 and completed the Web Design program at Anadolu University in 2022. Combining her background in educational technologies with her teaching experience, she worked as an information and communication technologies teacher at Bahçeşehir College and İSTEK Uluğbey Schools.

Her volunteer experience includes work with Spor İstanbul, Toplumsal Afet Platformu, AFAD, AKUT, the Community Volunteers Foundation and various other civil society organizations. She has gained experience in project writing and management, educational technologies, volunteer management, event coordination, strategic communication and team leadership.

Gözde began contributing to Yücel Cultural Foundation as a volunteer in 2024 and, from 2025, supported the Foundation’s activities as a project assistant and volunteer manager. In September 2026, she will join the Foundation full-time as the coordinator of the Culture Hunters project and assume responsibility for its coordination.

Born in Ankara in 1953, Yavuz Hardal began working at a young age and spent many years as a foundry worker in various factories. He was wounded while completing his military service during the Cyprus Peace Operation and was granted veteran status.

Yavuz has worked at Yücel Cultural Foundation since 2002 and has earned a special place in the hearts of young people as “Yavuz Abi,” especially among the members of MAGMA & Boğaziçi Jazz Choir. Through his dedication beyond regular working hours and his meticulous attention at every Foundation event, he has become an exemplary volunteer.

Born in Malatya in 1990, Yunus Emre Benli graduated from Trakya University with a degree in International Relations and is continuing his studies in Sociology at Anadolu University. He has been actively involved in youth-focused civil society organizations for more than 10 years.

After working as a trainer with the Community Volunteers Foundation, Edirne Municipality Youth Council, Youthart Association and UNICEF projects, he joined Yücel Cultural Foundation as Project and Volunteer Coordinator in 2022.

Benli designs training programs and events aimed at empowering young people. He also shares his energy with them through outdoor interests such as cycling, camping, swimming, hiking and photography.

Born in Şişli in 1987, Gürhan Çetinkaya graduated from Yıldız Technical University’s Faculty of Business Administration in 2009. He has worked as a certified public accountant for more than 15 years and manages all of the Foundation’s financial processes with great care.

His careful approach serves as a second layer of review, ensuring that many overlooked details are identified and corrected in time. Travel and an active lifestyle are among his greatest passions; he has visited many countries and made sport a part of his daily life.

A member of the Yücel Cultural Foundation Board of Trustees, Sami Altundağ makes significant contributions to the Foundation through his expertise in software development. He has led its digital transformation by developing the complete software infrastructure for yucelkulturvakfi.org, bursverenler.org and sanateserleri.org.

Altundağ is also deeply interested in technology and good agricultural practices. He lives in Northern Cyprus with his academic wife and son and continues to actively support the Foundation through regular weekly online meetings.

Ceren Engin began her bachelor’s studies in American Culture and Literature at Dokuz Eylül University in 2021 and started volunteering as a trainer at Yücel Cultural Foundation in 2022. She served as a trainer in the English Speaking Workshops and took an active role in content development, trainer coordination and international youth gatherings.

She worked on the human resources team of LÖSEV’s university network and later managed social responsibility projects as General Coordinator. She also worked on youth policy and international relations within the İzmir City Council Youth Assembly. In 2025, she assumed the role of Project Development Officer at Yücel Cultural Foundation. With advanced English proficiency, strong communication skills and leadership experience, Ceren adds value to volunteer projects.

A final-year Software Engineering student at Beykent University, Elif Aydın plans to complete her bachelor’s degree at the end of summer 2026. She joined Yücel Cultural Foundation as a software intern in July 2026.

In addition to supporting the development of the Foundation’s websites and improvements to the user experience, she contributes to the creation of a centralized data structure designed to make processes smarter, measurable and automated. She also contributes to the development of the Yücel Arts Center website.

A final-year Software Engineering student at Beykent University, Nazlı Buldağ plans to complete her bachelor’s degree at the end of summer 2026. She completed a software internship at Yücel Cultural Foundation between December 2025 and January 2026 and rejoined the team as an intern in July 2026.

In addition to supporting the development of the Foundation’s websites and improvements to the user experience, she contributes to the creation of a centralized data structure designed to make processes smarter, measurable and automated. She also contributes to the development of the Yücel Arts Center website.