BA in Human Resources Management and Master's in Public Administration, City University of New York. 2002-11, elected to Parliament as Deputy of Istanbul; 2002-07, Foreign Policy Adviser to Prime Minister; Chairman, Turkey-USA Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Caucus; Chairman, NATO-PA Subcommittee on Transatlantic Relations; Deputy Chairman, Turkish Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly. 2007, re-elected; 2007-09, Vice-Chairman and Member of the Central Exec. Committee, in charge of Foreign Affairs, ruling Justice and Development Party, or AK Party. Since 2009, Minister for EU Affairs and since 2011, Chief Negotiator. Head of the Turkish Delegation for EU Negotiations. Founding Board Member: Istanbul Museum of Modern Art; Santral Museum of Art and Industry. Founder, and Chairman of the Advisory Committee, Global Affairs Platform, Istanbul Bilgi University. Founding Member and Member of the Administrative Board, Istanbul Centre, Brussels. Recipient of awards, including: Cavaliere, Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2006); Commendatore, Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2011).