Ümit GÜLYAĞI

Secretary General, Republic of Turkey South Aegean Development Agency (GEKA)

Ümit Gülyağı was born in 1983 in Elazığ, Turkey. He completed his primary, secondary, and high school education in Elazığ and graduated from the Middle East Technical University (METU), Department of Civil Engineering, in 2007.

Gülyağı began his professional career in the private sector, working as a project engineer in construction and engineering firms for two years. He then transitioned into the regional development sector by joining the Eastern Black Sea Development Agency (DOKA). He worked at DOKA for six years, serving four years as a specialist and two years as a coordinator. Following his tenure at DOKA, he continued his career in a holding company operating in the energy, mining, construction, contracting, and tourism sectors, where he worked for two years as a budget and planning coordinator. After gaining private sector experience, Gülyağı resumed his regional development career at the Fırat Development Agency (FKA). At FKA, he first worked in the Planning, Programming, and Coordination Unit and later served as the Head of Tourism, Promotion, Branding, and Business Development Unit. Simultaneously, he coordinated the "Anadoludakiler Project", carried out by the General Directorate of Development Agencies.

Following his role at Fırat Development Agency, Gülyağı continued his career at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a project manager. While working in this role, he was appointed as Secretary General of the South Aegean Development Agency (GEKA) on August 2, 2024. Ümit Gülyağı is married with two children and is proficient in English.