TESEV Staff
Executive Director
TESEV Staff
Dr. Özge Aktaş Mazman
Executive Director
Dr. Özge Aktaş Mazman, after graduating from Robert College has completed her BA at Bogazici University and MA at the University of Essex sociology departments. In 2010 she has completed her doctoral studies on internal migrants in Turkey at the University of Sussex, sociology department and Sussex Centre for Migration Studies (SCMR). During her studies she worked as a research assistant at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex in projects related to development and social networks. In 2010 she joined a team of researchers in founding the Center for Urban Studies at Istanbul Sehir University, where she has worked as a senior researcher; leading projects on migration, urban studies, public space, demography and family. Özge Aktaş Mazman is currently lecturer at İstanbul Bilgi University. In April 2015 she has been appointed Executive Director of TESEV.
Research Director
TESEV Staff
Dr. Itır Akdoğan
Research Director
After graduating from Notre Dame De Sion French lycée, she completed her BA in communication at Galatasaray University, MA in international politics at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), and PhD in social sciences at Helsinki Univeristy. She is an international e-democracy consultant with projects she worked for in Northern Europe with the Ministry of Justice in Finland, and in Africa with German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ). She worked as UNDP Turkey’s program associate at Habitat Center for Development and Governance between 2013-2015. Itir Akdogan continues her academic work at Istanbul Bilgi University. She joined TESEV in August 2015.
Good Governance Advisor
TESEV Staff
Fikret Toksöz
Good Governance Advisor
Project Manager
TESEV Staff
Akif Burak Atlar
Project Manager
Akif Burak Atlar graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Urban and Regional Planning in 2009. In 2017, he received his Master’s Degree in Urban Planning program at the same university. He took part in the planning team of The Environmental Plan for Central and Eastern Black Sea Region provinces. He joined TESEV as a project manager in October, 2018. Since 2010, he serves as Secretary of the Board of UCTEA Chamber of Urban Planners İstanbul Branch.
Project Coordinator
TESEV Staff
Dr. Bürge Elvan Erginli
Project Coordinator
Bürge Elvan Erginli graduated from Istanbul Technical University, Department of Urban and Regional Planning in 2007 and received her master’s degree from the same universtiy’s Regional Planning Programme in 2010. She worked as a researcher in the Social an Economic Geography section of the urban exhibition “Istanbul 1910-2010” which was opened within the framework of 2010 European Capital of Culture at Santral Istanbul. Between 2012-2015, she worked at Istanbul Sehir University, Center for Urban Studies as a researcher and participated in studies on Internal Migration in Turkey, electoral geography, Turkish family structure. She completed her doctoral studies at ITU in 2017 on “Migrants’ local and nonlocal social networks”. She joined the TESEV team in June, 2015.
Finance and Administration Coordinator
TESEV Staff
Bircan Polat
Finance and Administration Coordinator
She received her BA in Business Administration at Kocaeli University. She is continuing her masters on urban rent in Political Science and Public Administration at Kadir Has University. During the years 2010-2017, she worked respectively as tax auditor and tax manager in Tax and/Erdikler Independent Audit and Sworn Fiscal Advisor Firm and conducted independent audits and tax audits. She was consultant to production, service, finance and trade companies in compliance with tax legislations. She is a Certified Public Accountant affiliated to Istanbul Chamber of SMMM and has gained independent auditor licenses in the Capital Markets Board in 2013 and in the Public Oversight Accounting and Auditing Standards Authority in 2017. As of January 2018 she joined TESEV as Finance and Administration Coordinator.
Administrative Affairs Officer
TESEV Staff
Aylin Uzun
Administrative Affairs Officer
After her graduation from Bahcesehir University Department of Business Administration Aylin completed her license degree at Anadolu University, Faculty of Business Administration. While studying at Bahcesehir University, she worked in Asanteks Textile as an accounting intern for 3 months. Consequently, she was employed as an Executive Assistant at Mavi Consultants for 4 years. Currently she is working at TESEV as Administrative Affairs Officer as of July 2015.