Meet the Team of Yücel Cultural Foundation

Born in Istanbul in 1953, Haluk Kula graduated from the Department of Press, Broadcasting and Public Relations at Istanbul University and later studied at the Academy of Business Sciences. He specialized in exterior insulation and restoration of historic buildings and heritage structures.

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

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

Kömeçoğlu is responsible for scholarship candidate selection and evaluation processes. She also manages communications with the Regional Directorates of Foundations, banks and other public institutions, and coordinates correspondence received through the Foundation’s email system.

A mother of two, Kömeçoğlu is recognized for her careful attention to order and organization in the workplace and approaches her responsibilities with a strong sense of duty.

Born in 1995, Ece Dikmenli graduated from the Departments of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations at Sakarya University and Management Information Systems at 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 and gained experience at organizations including CNN Türk, Otokoç, Poldy Yazılım and TV100. She also has entrepreneurial experience in social media. For ten years, she has served as a licensed table official at national and international competitions under the Turkish Basketball Federation.

Dikmenli joined the Yücel Cultural Foundation in 2023. Alongside developing partnerships with artists and universities, she contributes to press relations, promotional activities and venue rental processes, and manages all of the Foundation’s social media communications.

Born in Istanbul in 1989, Ekremcan Bakır graduated from Kadıköy Anadolu 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. within Koç Group. He worked as a reporting officer, production planning specialist and human resources specialist, with a focus on learning and development, organizational development and employee engagement. He also coordinated the Simphony project as part of Koç Holding’s digital transformation goals.

Between 2012 and 2021, he volunteered as the human resources coordinator of a team whose joint project with the Yücel Cultural Foundation, Kültürlerin Sesi, brought him into contact with the Foundation. He joined the Foundation in 2019 as a part-time project coordinator.

Working full-time at the Foundation since 2021, Bakır coordinates the team and internal operations, while also contributing to 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 the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Marmara University and earned a master’s degree in International Finance from the same university. He also holds numerous certificates in personal development, including body language, time management and management skills.

He worked in finance, sales and management at organizations including DenizBank, BilgeAdam Information Technologies and MESAM, the Musical Work Owners’ Society of Türkiye. He began working with the Yücel Cultural Foundation in 2019 and played an important role in the development of bursverenler.org, one of the Foundation’s projects.

He retired in 2024 but soon returned to active work and continues to contribute to the coordination of partnerships between foundations and scholarship processes.

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

Working under the umbrella of the Yücel Cultural Foundation since 2002, he has become affectionately known among young people as “Yavuz Abi”, particularly through his work with MAGMA and the Boğaziçi Jazz Choir. His dedication beyond regular working hours and the care he brings to every Foundation event have made him an exemplary volunteer.

Born in Malatya in 1990, Yunus Emre Benli graduated from the Department of International Relations at Trakya University and continues his studies in Sociology at Anadolu University. He has been actively involved in civil society organizations working with young people for more than ten years.

After serving as a trainer in projects run by the Community Volunteers Foundation, Edirne Municipality Youth Council, Youthart Association and UNICEF, he joined the Yücel Cultural Foundation in 2022 as Projects and Volunteers Coordinator.

Benli designs training programmes and events that aim to empower young people. He also shares his energy with them through his nature-oriented interests, including cycling, camping, swimming, hiking and photography.

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

His attentive approach functions as an additional control mechanism, allowing many details that might otherwise be overlooked to be identified and corrected in time. Travel and an active lifestyle are among his greatest passions; he has visited many countries and makes sport a regular part of his daily life.

A member of the Board of Trustees of the Yücel Cultural Foundation, Sami Altundağ makes significant contributions to the Foundation through his expertise in software. In addition to the Foundation’s official website, yucelkulturvakfi.org, he developed the complete software infrastructure of bursverenler.org and sanateserleri.org, playing a leading role in our digital transformation.

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

Ceren Engin began her bachelor’s degree in American Culture and Literature at Dokuz Eylül University in 2021 and joined the Yücel Cultural Foundation as a volunteer trainer in 2022. She taught in the English Conversation Workshops and took an active role in content preparation, trainer coordination and international youth gatherings.

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