TESEV Staff
Executive Director
TESEV Staff
Dr. Özge Aktaş Mazman
Executive Director
ozge.aktas@tesev.org.trDr. 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, 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
itir.akdogan@tesev.org.trAfter 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 University. 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 is the author of the book “Dijital Politik Fanteziler” (Digital Political Fantasies). She continues her academic work with publications in the field of e-democracy. Itır Akdoğan is the research director of TESEV since August 2015.
Project Manager
TESEV Staff
Çağla Ayaz
Project Manager
Çağla received her BA degree from Galatasaray University, Department of Sociology in February 2021. Then she worked as a social researcher at Ipsos Research and Consultancy Company, conducted mainly quantitative and some qualitative research projects. She joined TESEV in October 2022.
Project Coordinator
TESEV Staff
Dr. Bürge Elvan Erginli
Project Coordinator
elvan.erginli@tesev.org.trBürge 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.
Project Manager
TESEV Staff
Gizem Fidan
Project Manager
Gizem received her bachelor’s degree from Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture in 2017 and her MA degree from Kadir Has University, Architecture and Urban Studies in 2019 with her study titled “History of Protest Spaces in Istanbul”. She worked as a researcher at Kadir Has University Istanbul Studies Center. She still continues her doctoral studies at Istanbul Technical University Department of Urban and Regional Planning. She joined TESEV in June 2020.
Project Assistant
TESEV Staff
İmge Haliloğlu
Project Assistant
İmge Haliloğlu graduated from Galatasaray University’s undergraduate sociology program in 2021. In the same year, she began her master’s studies in the GEOPOESICE program at the Institute of Urban Planning and Alpine Geography at Grenoble Alpes University, which she completed in 2024. She participated in fieldwork at various non-governmental organizations where she gained volunteer and internship experience. In October 2024, she joined TESEV as a project assistant.
Administrative Affairs and Accounting Officer
TESEV Staff
Aylin Uzun
Administrative Affairs and Accounting 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.