Board of Directors

Born in 1986 in Istanbul, Ali Görkem Tokatman graduated from the Faculty of Business Administration at Yıldız Technical University in 2009. He began his career at the family-owned Edsa Tekstil, where he worked in various departments. In 2014, he became the manager of Edsa Tekstil, which provides garment production and printing services to numerous European brands.

Tokatman continues to drive the R&D initiatives of Edsa Tekstil, which operates in Kırklareli Organized Industrial Zone and Istanbul Güneşli, employing a total of 500 people across its cutting, sewing, printing, ironing, and packaging units.

Ali Görkem Tokatman is married and the father of one child.

Born in 1965 in İstanbul, Deniz Dikmen completed elementary and high school education at Maria-Sibylla-Merian Gymnasium in Germany. Dikmen, who graduated from İstanbul University German Philology faculty speaks   German ,English, French, Latin and Russian languages.

Her professional life started when she started working as a Product Manager at Karstadt AG which is one of Turkey’s first overseas Sourcing Offices founded in 1989 in İstanbul. She has also taken part in goods procurement of important German textile brands and in teams that pioneered in laying the foundations of Turkey’s textile export to Germany.

Deniz Dikmen has played the leading role in exporting to Retailers, mail order  companies and online sales channels of many countries in Europe such as Germany, England, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and France. In addition to that, she has successfully worked from 2003-2006 as Executive Manager Europe with production countries in the textile industry such as Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia.

From 2006 - 2020, she worked as Vice President and Global Account Manager in the field of sales and supply chain management at Hong Kong based Li&Fung Corp., which is the world’s largest global textile agency and bridged the relationship between the European customers and the vendors from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Turkey and Italy .

Dikmen attended international training programs in social responsibility standards with ethical contents and on the topic of sustainable textile such as BSCI. She has applied the training program on her employees for strengthening and improving the organization. Deniz Dikmen, who is the author of two short story books published in German language by the DTV publishing house in Germany, was also given several literature awards. Continuing her second university education at the İstanbul University World Heritage Management, Dikmen is also working as the Vice Chairperson of the Sevda Aydın Foundation – S.A.F Vakfı.

Deniz Dikmen is married and has a child.

Born in 1982 in Germany, Aysun Adsoy Yıldız began her education in Germany and moved to Turkey at the age of 11. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Econometrics from Uludağ University and completed her master’s degree in International Trade at Istanbul Commerce University.

Yıldız started her career as a customer service representative at Türkticaret.net, where she worked for a year before deciding to continue her career in Istanbul. She joined a Microsoft partner firm as a SharePoint Services Sales Manager, a role she held for approximately two years.

Later, she worked at an SAP partner firm, where she was responsible for translating the SAP program from German to Turkish, a position she held for two years.

In 2005, she ventured into entrepreneurship by founding Mera Dış Ticaret, a company specializing in the sale of foil paper, foil printing chemicals, and printing machines. She successfully managed all procurement processes from South Korea, China, Italy, and India, while developing and implementing the company’s strategic vision.

In 2016, she moved to Izmir and became a co-founder of Varak Teknik. At the Izmir facility, the company provides services such as foil printing and pleating, as well as flock printing, glitter printing, embossing, and goffering through outsourcing. The company’s main clients include Inditex Group and H&M, both of which have approved its processes. Additionally, Varak Teknik holds OCS (Organic Content Standard) and RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) certifications, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and high-quality standards.

Currently residing in Izmir, Aysun Adsoy Yıldız is married and the mother of one daughter. She is fluent in English and has intermediate proficiency in German.

Born on July 12, 1996, in Istanbul, Birkan Haluk Ceylan completed his primary education at Ziya Kalkavan Maritime Anatolian Technical High School. He graduated from the International Trade and Logistics Department at Kadir Has University in 2021.

During his student years, Ceylan worked in various purchasing roles within textile companies, gaining expertise in procurement and strategic planning processes. He also gained valuable experience in the family business, Emaks Tekstil Aksesuar, where he has worked for many years. Since 2019, he has served as the company’s Marketing and Business Development Director.

As of November 2023, Ceylan has taken on the role of Director at Emaks Button Factory, where he leads innovative projects and growth strategies in polyester and metal button production.

Ceylan actively contributes to the advancement of the industry through his roles in various civil society organizations. As a Board Member of TİHCAD (Textile Exporters and Workers Association) and the Apparel Sub-Industry Association (KYSD), he plays a significant role in shaping the future of the textile sector.

His core principles include supporting social responsibility projects, advancing R&D processes, and fostering strong collaborations with brands. With his innovative and solution-oriented approach, Birkan Haluk Ceylan continues to add value to the textile industry.

Born in 1969 in Konya, Birsen Şehirli Tor completed her primary education in Konya. She graduated from the Textile Engineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering at Ege University in 1990 and later completed her master’s degree in Management Sciences at the Marmara University Institute of Business Administration.

Between 1990 and 1996, she worked at Mavi Ege A.Ş., the Turkish licensee of Lee and Wrangler brands under VF Corporation. Her roles included factory setup and management, collection preparation and presentation, production processes, fashion show organization, dealership systems, and brand sales. Until 2001, she worked at Retro Tekstil A.Ş., managing the design, production, sales, and marketing teams for Pepe Jeans in Turkey.

Subsequently, she served as the Country Manager for the Irish-based Desmonds & Son’s, a key supplier for Marks & Spencer. From 2002 to 2012, she held the position of General Manager at Li & Fung Corp., a Hong Kong-based global textile sourcing company and one of the largest in the world.

Her e-commerce experience expanded through her work with trendyol.com and n11.com, after which she spent four years at Boyner Holding, managing the production consolidation projects for all private brands.

Currently, Birsen Şehirli Tor continues her career as a senior executive in a global company specializing in international supply chain management. She is married and the mother of one child.

Born in 1979 in Terme, Samsun, Cemil Arslan moved to Istanbul with his family in 1984, where he completed his primary and secondary education.

Arslan began his professional career in 1998 as a worker. Between 2003 and 2008, he worked at Şahinler Holding, holding managerial positions in various manufacturing departments. In 2009, he co-founded Avelice Tekstil, marking the start of his entrepreneurial journey.

At the end of 2012, he left the partnership and established his own business, Arslan Tekstil, where he continues to focus on export-oriented production.

Cemil Arslan is married and the father of two children.

Born in 1975 in Isparta, Kemal Say completed his primary and secondary education in Aydın. Then he studied at Marmara University ,Faculty of Public Administration in French and graduated successfully in 1999.

Kemal Say has worked as Sales Manager at İnci Tekstil (1998-2000), LC Waikiki (2000-2004) and Saykon Danışmanlık (2004-2006) companies respectively. Until 2015, he worked as nonwoven fabrics Sales Director at Ribatek Tekstil A.Ş.

Since 2015, he has been working as Turkey Director of Denmark based Fibertex Nonwovens company which has a network in over 70 countries and is operating in the field of nonwoven fabric manufacturing and sales.

Kemal Say, who is married and has a child, can speak English and French.

Born in 1975 in Istanbul, Mete Pamukcu completed his primary education at Kültür College and his secondary and high school education at İstek Vakfı Florya Bilge Kağan High School.

He pursued higher education in the United States, graduating from the Business Administration Department at Florida Metropolitan University. In 2001, he began his professional career at the family business, Tekboy Tekstil. Through his roles in various departments, he rose to the position of Vice Chairman of the Board.

Pamukcu previously served as a Board Member of TGSD (Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association) and currently holds a position as a Board Member of TTTSD (Turkish Textile Finishing Industrialists’ Association). He is also a congress member of Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü.

Mete Pamukcu is married and the father of two children.

Born in 1978 in Manisa, Nabi Ertürk completed his primary and secondary education in Manisa. He graduated from the Textile Engineering Department at Ege University in 2001 and earned a master’s degree from the same department in 2010.

Throughout his career, he has held the following positions:

•Production Engineer at Deniz Tekstil (2001-2002),

•Assistant Specialist at TÜBİTAK Textile Research Center (2002-2003),

•Assistant Operations Manager at Deniz Tekstil (2003-2005),

•Sales Engineer and Product Manager at Organik Kimya A.Ş. (2005-2013).

In 2013, he became a founding partner of Dynamis Kimya Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., which operates as the Turkish distributor for specialized chemical companies based in Slovenia, Italy, and Germany. Dynamis also serves as the Thrace Region Distributor for Akkim Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., a subsidiary of Akkök Holding.

In addition to his role as a Board Member of TİHCAD, Nabi Ertürk is a Central Executive Board Member of the Chamber of Textile Engineers (TMMOB) for the 2024-2025 term. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Textile Engineers for two consecutive terms (2020-2024).

Nabi Ertürk is married and the father of two children.

Born in 1972 in Istanbul, Nalan Esra Akpınar completed her primary and secondary education in Istanbul. She pursued her higher education in Textile Engineering, first at Istanbul Marmara University and later at HS Niederrhein Mönchengladbach in Germany.

She has held managerial positions for many years at various international companies in both Germany and Turkey. Additionally, she has been a long-time volunteer at Dialog Textil und Bekleidung (DTB), a textile association founded by Willy Bogner in Germany.

Since 2021, Akpınar has been serving as a Board Member of the Textile Exporters and Workers Association (TİHCAD). She actively contributes to the association’s International Relations, Social Responsibility, and Generation Z Committees.

Nalan Esra Akpınar is proficient in German and English.

Born in 1973 in Istanbul, Bahçıvancı is the youngest daughter of a family of Macedonian descent. She completed her entire education in Istanbul and graduated from the Textile Engineering Department at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University. She also completed the master’s degree coursework in the same faculty.

Since 1995, she has worked in the textile industry, focusing on supply chain management in various liaison and sourcing offices, particularly in laboratory operations, fabric, and garment production. During this time, she spent three years in Cairo, Egypt, managing the establishment and operations of a sourcing office, as well as overseeing order placement and follow-up processes directly on-site.

Bahçıvancı has taken end-to-end management responsibilities for different market segments, both in liaison offices and directly at brand offices. She also held the position of Brand Director, where she worked on designing collections, presenting them to customers, managing sales channels, and developing product and supply chain strategies while enhancing brand dynamics.

A mother of two, Bahçıvancı is also a Board Member of the Textile Exporters and Workers Association (TİHCAD). She plays an active role in the association’s education committee, supporting the integration of new professionals into the industry by bridging academic knowledge with practical field experience.

Born in 1986 in Istanbul, Nisanur İlhan Bölek completed her high school education at Şehremini Anatolian High School. She graduated from the English Business Administration Department at Istanbul Aydın University in 2009. Following her graduation, she pursued a dual degree at Budapest Business School in Hungary, specializing in Business Management and Marketing Strategy.

As a second-generation professional in the textile industry, Nisanur İlhan Bölek began her career in 2010, taking on various roles across different branches of the sector. In 2013, she gained international experience by working in a managerial position at a textile and garment manufacturing company in Guangzhou, China.

After working in leading companies in the fabric and accessory production sectors, she joined the family business, Zen Moda, in 2015 as a manager. In this role, she has overseen garment production for numerous European brands.

Nisanur İlhan Bölek is married and the mother of one child.

Born in 1967 in Ankara, Nüket Oral Dokuz completed her primary education in Ankara, middle school in Malatya, and high school in Bandırma. She graduated from the Computer Programming Department at Uludağ University in 1987 and from the Public Relations Department at Anadolu University in 1994.

Her professional career began in 1987 at the Bandırma Banvit IT Department. She later worked for many years in Cabin Services at Turkish Airlines and Onur Air.

In late 2010, she founded her own company, Nüde Danışmanlık Elektronik Hizmetler Mağazacılık Ticaret A.Ş., marking her entry into the business world. She established one of Turkey’s first e-commerce websites and ventured into e-commerce operations. During this time, she created her women’s fashion brand, Angelino, which became a sought-after name in both domestic and international online markets.

Leveraging her extensive experience, she co-founded the ELİDER Electronic Commerce Association in 2021, where she serves as Vice President. As of 2024, she also holds a position as a Board Member of TİHCAD.

Nüket Oral Dokuz is married and the mother of two children.

Born in 1970 in Izmir, Nursen Geyik Değerli graduated from the Garment Engineering Department of the Textile Engineering Faculty at Ege University. Since 1991, she has worked in various roles, including planning, production, management, and representation, in export companies specializing in knitwear, woven fabrics, and denim apparel manufacturing.

She completed her Master’s and Proficiency in Art degrees in Textile and Fashion Design at Haliç University and has taught undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses.

Her research and academic studies primarily focus on Textile Design, Fashion Design, Sustainable Textiles, and Sustainable Fashion. She has published numerous academic papers, articles, and book chapters both nationally and internationally. In addition to her academic pursuits, she has received training in traditional arts and continues to collaborate on projects with paper-cutting artist Dürdane Ünver at Mim Art Academy.

Her presentations at national and international scientific conferences cover a wide spectrum, ranging from textiles to fashion design and traditional art forms. By focusing on sustainability, technology integration, and cultural heritage, she highlights the relationships between technology, art, and contemporary fashion. Her work demonstrates the potential for creativity and sustainability to coexist harmoniously in the field of fashion.

Nursen Geyik Değerli currently serves as the Head of the Textile and Fashion Design Department at the Faculty of Arts and Design, Istanbul Nişantaşı University, as well as the Head of the Department of Textile and Fashion Design at the Graduate Education Institute. She is married and the mother of two children.

Born in 1967, Özlem Levent completed her primary, secondary, and high school education in Ankara. She earned her undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Economics at Istanbul University and completed a postgraduate program in Contemporary Business Management at Marmara University.

Her career began at Şark Sigorta and later continued at Rumeli Hayat Sigorta, driven by her aspiration to become an insurance professional. However, with a 16-year background as a professional basketball player, she found herself at Türeks Tekstil, which managed the production and distribution of Reebok and Diadora in Turkey, employing many former athletes.

After gaining nearly five years of experience in sportswear production, she took a break for motherhood. A year later, she joined the French Connection Turkey Liaison Office as a Merchandiser for the children’s department. Eight months later, she also took on the merchandising responsibilities for the brand’s subsidiary, Great Plains. Within three years, she was promoted to Merchandise Manager.

Since 2015, she has been serving as the Country Manager for the French Connection Turkey Liaison Office.

Married and the mother of one daughter, Özlem Levent is a member of the BIDEV (Foundation for Support and Education in Basketball) Board of Trustees and an active Fenerbahçe Sports Club Congress Member.

Born in 1991 in Istanbul, Saim Karakartal completed his primary and secondary education in Istanbul. He graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Department at Eskişehir Osmangazi University in 2015.

In the same year, he began his professional career at the family-owned Güvenel Ambalaj, operating in the flexible packaging industry. In 2019, he was appointed as the General Manager of Güvenel Ambalaj Aksesuar.

Through his R&D efforts focused on engineering polymers, he successfully developed numerous innovative products. These value-added packaging products are exported to many European countries, including Germany, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Saim Karakartal is married and the father of one child.

Born on May 20, 2000, in Bakırköy, Selahattin Can KUŞ is 24 years old and single. He completed his primary and secondary education in Gaziosmanpaşa and graduated from Florya Tevfik Ercan Anatolian High School in 2018.

He pursued his higher education at Bahçeşehir University, graduating in 2024 with a dual degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Computer Engineering. During his university years, he actively participated in various clubs and served as the President of the BAU Leadership and Entrepreneurship Club, where he honed his leadership and organizational skills.

Selahattin Can KUŞ began his professional career in 2018 as an Assistant to the General Manager at DRC Triko, where he gained valuable experience in business management, strategic planning, and teamwork over two years.

In 2020, he founded Galia Group Tekstil A.S., which specializes in the production and export of knitwear for women, men, and children. As the Chairman of the Board, he has successfully positioned the company as a prominent player in the industry by focusing on innovative and high-quality products.

Bekleniyor

Born in 1984 in Frankfurt, Germany, Tamer Tamtürk completed his primary education in Germany. In 2006, he graduated with third place honors from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Istanbul Kültür University. His academic journey was further enriched by a year of study at Trier University in Germany through the Erasmus exchange program.

Tamer’s career in the textile industry began during his university years, with internships in various roles at his family’s business. In 2005, he started his professional career at İntem Triko, quickly rising through the ranks. In 2016, he left the company as CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) and founded That Look, where he implemented innovative supply chain strategies and digital integrations, setting new standards in the industry.

In 2021, he co-founded Knitology, Turkey’s first digital fashion brand. Collaborating with platforms like Dressx and Meta, Knitology achieved significant success on the international stage. His extensive expertise in combining advanced supply chain strategies with digital applications established him as a pioneer in the industry.

Since 2022, Tamer has actively participated in various projects as a Board Member of TİHCAD (Textile Exporters and Workers Association). His fluency in German and English has played a vital role in his global engagements.

In 2024, Tamer Tamtürk assumed the role of Chairman of the Board at İntem Triko, where he continues to lead the company towards digitalization, transparency in production processes, and enhanced traceability, driving its ongoing success.

Born in 1991 in Bakırköy, Istanbul, Civan Çelik completed his high school education at Yeşilköy Anatolian High School. He graduated from the Mechatronics Engineering Department at Yıldız Technical University in 2015.

During his university studies, Çelik began working as a manager in the service sector, focusing on marketing and business operations, where he gained 7 years of experience. In 2017, he joined the family business, Santana Tekstil, where he managed sales and marketing, export, and R&D departments. He played a pivotal role in initiating Santana Tekstil’s exports to over 20 countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Austria, and Poland.

Since May 2023, Civan Çelik has continued his career as a founding partner of Ecru Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti., a company exporting fabrics to more than 25 countries.