Scientific Committee

Prof. Murat Şentürk

Chair of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Murat Şentürk earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication from Istanbul University in 2004. He went on to complete his master’s degree in Sociology at Istanbul University Faculty of Letters in 2008, presenting a thesis titled Life Strategies of the Indigent: The Districts of Küçük Mustafa Paşa and Balat (Istanbul) as Cases in Point. In 2011, he received his Ph.D. from the same department with a dissertation on Urban Interventions in the city of Istanbul.

In 2013, Prof. Şentürk conducted research as a Visiting Scholar at the City University of New York The Graduate Center (Center for Place, Culture and Politics). During the 2022-2023 academic year, he served as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Sydney the School of Geosciences, completing his TÜBİTAK-funded study titled "Creating Inclusive and Resilient Communities in the City by Volunteering". He currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at Istanbul University Faculty of Letter. He also holds several administrative roles: Deputy Director of the Center for Sociological Research, Coordinator of the Urban Studies Master’s Program, and Co-Founder and Director of the Volunteer Academy. His ongoing volunteer work includes active involvement with the 65+ Elder Rights Association. Prof. Şentürk has contributed significantly to the field through his editorial work on Volunteering and Working with Volunteers and his leadership of the Türkiye Volunteering Research Project. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of the City Thought Center (Esenler Municipality), serves on the Executive Board of the Marmara Urban Forum (Marmara Municipalities Union), and acts as a jury member for the Urban Studies Awards (Zeytinburnu Municipality).

Prof. Osman Tolga Arıcak

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Osman Tolga Arıcak graduated in 1993 from Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters, Department of Educational Sciences. He completed his master’s and doctoral studies at Marmara University. From 1994 to 1999, he served as a research assistant in the Psychological Services in Education program at Trakya University’s Faculty of Education, where he became an assistant professor in 1999. In 2006–2007, he was a visiting scholar at Indiana University Bloomington’s Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, followed by a faculty position in Tulane University’s Department of Psychology from 2007 to 2008. Returning to Trakya University in 2008, he earned his associate professorship in educational psychology in 2010. During the 2013–2014 academic year, he conducted research at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Youth and Media Lab. From 2014 to 2023, he was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Hasan Kalyoncu University. Currently, Prof. Arıcak is a faculty member at Boğaziçi University’s Faculty of Education. His expertise spans educational psychology, cyberpsychology, and research methodology.

Prof. Şaziye Senem Başgül

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Şaziye Senem Başgül graduated with honors from Trakya University Faculty of Medicine in 1994 and earned her specialization in child and adolescent mental health from Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine in 2007. She has held positions at renowned institutions, including Bakırköy Mazhar Osman Psychiatric Hospital, Erenköy Psychiatric Hospital, and Göztepe Training and Research Hospital at Medeniyet University. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015 and Professor in 2020.

In addition to her academic career, Prof. Başgül founded Güneş Çocuk in 2009 and Güneş Çocuk Akademi in 2019. She is a co-author of the books Impulsivity and Sexual Education in the Family. She also serves as the founding chair of the Special Needs Children Commission under the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Association and as a consultant doctor for the Down Turkey Association.

Since 2012, she has been a faculty member in the Psychology Department at Hasan Kalyoncu University. Prof. Başgül is married with two children.

Prof. Rabia Bilici

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Rabia Bilici was born in Elazığ in 1976 and graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine in 1999. She completed her specialization in psychiatry at Bakırköy Psychiatric Hospital. After fulfilling her mandatory service at Erzurum Palandöken State Hospital, she became the head physician of the Alcohol and Substance Treatment Center (AMATEM) at Elazığ Mental Health and Disorders Hospital.

In 2012, she contributed to the establishment of the AMATEM clinic at Erenköy Psychiatric Hospital. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015 and to Professor in 2021. In the same year, she was appointed Director of the Addiction Prevention Research and Application Center at the University of Health Sciences. Prof. Bilici was also awarded a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship under the Fulbright Program, conducting research at Virginia Commonwealth University between 2020 and 2021. She currently serves as a faculty member in the Psychology Department at Istanbul Commerce University.

Prof. Bilici has participated in various projects with the World Health Organization and TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye). She is an active member of the Turkish Psychiatric Association, the Sexual Education, Treatment, and Research Association (CETAD), and the Green Crescent Scientific Board. Additionally, she serves as a Global Drug Demand Reduction Trainer for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and represents the Eastern European region at the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM).

Prof. Hakan Coşkunol

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Hakan Coşkunol graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Ege University, where he also completed his specialization in psychiatry. With over 150 articles published in national and international journals and six books to his name, his work has made a significant impact in the field.

He is the founder of the Ege University Child and Adolescent Substance Addiction Center and was the founding president of the Ege University Institute of Substance Addiction, Toxicology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, established in 2008.

Prof. Coşkunol continues his work at the Ege University Substance Addiction Center and serves on numerous national scientific committees focused on addiction. He collaborates with international organizations to address substance use prevention and treatment in Türkiye. His primary research interests include the professional development of addiction counseling, the integration of multidisciplinary approaches in addiction treatment, and molecular studies in the field of addiction.

Prof. Peyami Çelikcan

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Peyami Çelikcan graduated from the Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema at Ankara University’s Faculty of Communication in 1986. He then began his academic career as a research assistant at Gazi University in 1987. After receiving a scholarship from Turkey’s Higher Education Council (YÖK), he moved to the United States, where he earned a Master’s degree in Communication Arts from the University of West Florida in 1990. He completed his doctorate in 1994 at the Department of Stage and Visual Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, 9 Eylül University. Prof. Çelikcan’s research interests include cinema and television, popular culture, popular music, music videos, documentary cinema, communication and media studies, and addiction. In addition to his academic work, he has directed and written several documentaries. Since 2013, he has served as a member of the Green Crescent Scientific Board. He is currently Vice Rector, Dean of the Faculty of Communication, and a faculty member at Istinye University.

Prof. Toker Ergüder

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Toker Ergüder is currently the National Professional Officer for Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Across the Life Course at the World Health Organization (WHO) Türkiye Office. In this role, he leads efforts to prevent, control, and manage non-communicable diseases and key behavioral risk factors. He has provided technical support for the development of national multisectoral action plans in Turkey addressing areas such as tobacco and alcohol control, nutrition, obesity, physical activity, and mental health. Prof. Ergüder also coordinates the United Nations Interagency Task Force (UNIATF) on Non-Communicable Diseases at the country level.

In addition to his role at WHO, he is a faculty member in the Department of Public Health at the Health Sciences University and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Turkish Green Crescent Society.

Prof. Cüneyt Evren

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Cüneyt Evren graduated from Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine in 1991. He completed his psychiatry specialization at Bakırköy Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital in 1996, after which he served as the chief assistant at the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Research, Treatment, and Education Center (AMATEM). He was appointed associate professor in 2006 and faculty member in 2012. In 2021, he became a professor in the Department of Psychology at Istanbul Gelisim University.

From 2009 to 2014, Prof. Evren was a member of the Scientific Board for Substance Addiction Treatment at the Turkish Ministry of Health. He also held leadership roles at the Turkish Psychiatric Association, coordinating both the Research Study Unit and the Alcohol and Substance Use Disorder Study Unit.

In addition to his academic responsibilities, he serves as the editor of Düşünen Adam Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences Journal, president of the Bakırköy Research and Advanced Education Center (BARİLEM), section editor for the Scientific World Journal, and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Turkish Green Crescent Society (Yeşilay).

Prof. Yusuf Genç

Member of the Scientific Committee

Born in 1965 in Vakfıkebir, Trabzon, and currently residing in Sakarya, Prof. Genç completed his education at Trabzon Imam Hatip High School, followed by the Economics Program at Anadolu University, and a degree in Sociology from Sakarya University. He earned his master's degree in 1997 and his doctorate in 2004, with a thesis on Multiculturalism, Intercultural Education, and the Situation of Turkish Students (The Case of Hessen, Germany). During his studies, he focused on integration issues for Turkish migrants in Germany and engaged in civil society efforts to foster Turkish cultural organizations.

Prof. Genç has held significant roles, including Education Expert at the Presidency of Religious Affairs, Department Head at Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, and Ministerial Advisor at the Ministry of Family and Social Services, where he led the ASDEP program and contributed to the development of key regulations. In 2008, he began his academic career as an Assistant Professor at Sakarya University’s Department of Social Work, becoming an Associate Professor in 2014 and a full Professor in 2020. He is currently a faculty member and the Department Chair.

His research interests include social work, family and child welfare, addiction, elderly and disability welfare, homelessness, social issues, globalization, social policy, and communication. Prof. Dr. Genç has led or contributed to over 40 projects and published 35 articles in international journals. He has also authored or edited more than 40 books and book chapters and presented around 40 papers at international conferences, with a particular focus on addiction. Additionally, he has written numerous articles and actively participated in conferences and seminars in his field.

Since 2006, Prof. Genç has been involved in various civil society organizations, including serving as the President of Sakarya Green Crescent Branch. He is married and father of four children.

Prof. Mustafa Necmi İlhan

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Mustafa Necmi İlhan was born in 1971 in Harput, Elazığ. He graduated from Gazi University Faculty of Medicine in 1995, completed his PhD in Public Health at Gazi University in 2001, and later obtained a Master's degree in Hospital Management in 2015. He also earned a PhD in Occupational Health from Ankara University in 2007.

Prof. İlhan began his professional career in 1995 at the SSK Yozgat Dispensary and continued at SSK Hasanoğlan Dispensary and the SSK Health Department. He started his academic journey at Gazi University in 1999 as a research assistant, eventually becoming a Lecturer in 2004, Assistant Professor in 2007, Associate Professor in 2009, and Professor in 2014. Between 2014 and 2023, he held several leadership roles, including Head of the Department of Occupational and Work-Related Diseases, Head of the Department of Public Health, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. He also served as President of the Council of Deans of Medical Faculties from 2021 to 2023.

Currently, Prof. İlhan serves in multiple prestigious roles, including President of the Medical-Health Sciences Education Council at the Interuniversity Council (2021), Executive Director of the Health Science Advisory Commission at the Higher Education Council's Recognition and Equivalence Committee (2017), and President of the Vocational Qualification Authority (2023). He is also a member of the Higher Education Quality Board (YÖKAK), the Ministry of Health’s Post-Earthquake Public Health Commission (2023), the Social Sciences Committee (2020), and the TUKMOS Occupational and Work-Related Diseases Commission (2021). Additionally, he has been a member of the Science Advisory Board of the Turkish Monitoring Center for Drug Addiction (TUBİM) since 2009.

With 113 publications in Web of Science, 1,166 citations, and an H-index of 18, Prof. İlhan has established a strong academic presence. He has also published 107 articles in peer-reviewed journals, authored 29 books and book chapters, and played a key role as a leader, advisor, or researcher in 17 national and 23 international projects. His academic focus spans community mental health, addiction, health management, epidemiology, and occupational health and safety. Prof. İlhan has worked with international organizations such as the UNODC, UNFPA, WHO, and the EMCDDA, contributing his expertise as a consultant, advisor, and expert.

Prof. Recep Erol Sezer

Member of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Recep Erol Sezer graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine in 1969 and specialized in public health in 1978. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1983 and Professor in 1989. In 1992, he established the Tobacco Control Division within the Turkish Public Health Association, followed by the founding of the Health Development and Tobacco Control Association in Elazığ, which published Sigara Alarmı (Tobacco Alarm) magazine. He was a key member of the founding team of the National Tobacco and Health Committee in 1995, serving as its president twice. Between 1994 and 2000, he acted as Türkiye’s focal point for the World Health Organization’s Smoke-Free Europe Action Plan.

Prof. Sezer also led the National Quit-and-Win Smoking Cessation Campaigns in 1996 and 1998. He contributed to the establishment of the Tobacco and Health National Committee under the Ministry of Health, where he served as a member and led the smoking cessation group. His active participation in tobacco control efforts at the Ministry of Health has led to numerous publications, as well as presentations in various courses, conferences, and lectures.

After his time at Ankara University, Prof. Sezer worked at Fırat University’s Department of Public Health in Elazığ from 1984 to 1999, followed by a position at Cumhuriyet University’s Department of Family Medicine from 1999 to 2013. From 2013 to 2022, he served as the Chair of the Department of Public Health at Yeditepe University Faculty of Medicine.

Assoc. Prof. Zeynep Esra Abay Çelik

Member of the Scientific Committee

Assoc. Prof. Zeynep Esra Abay Çelik, born in Istanbul in 1980, graduated from Kadıköy Imam Hatip High School in 1996. She completed her undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies in Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Vienna. In Austria, she served as the founding regional director for an international company, driving innovation and contributing to its growth, which earned her multiple awards.

She also held the position of Secretary-General for the European Turkish Democrats Union (UETD Austria) and has actively participated in various civil society organizations. In 2019, she joined the Health Sciences University. Her areas of interest include health communication, interpersonal communication, personal development, career counseling, professional communication, family dynamics, children, media, and digital culture. She is married with three children.

Assoc. Prof. Merih Altıntaş

Member of the Scientific Committee

Assoc. Prof. Merih Altıntaş graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at 19 Mayıs University and completed his psychiatric residency at Erenköy Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital, with a thesis on "Childhood Trauma, Dissociation, and Coping Mechanisms in Offenders." In 2013, she began working as a chief assistant at Erenköy, contributing to psychosis services and the Alcohol and Treatment Center (AMATEM) clinic. She played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Addiction Outpatient Consultation and Education Center (BADEM) and the Consultation and Treatment Center (DAN-TE), overseeing both projects' development and implementation. She also served as the secretary at the Erenköy Scientific Research Center (EBAM).

In 2018, she became an associate professor in psychiatry and, in 2020, was responsible for establishing the Psychiatry Clinic at Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital. Assoc. Prof. Altıntaş received the Scientific Research Award from the Turkish Psychiatry Association in 2013. Her expertise extends to various addiction-related projects, and she currently serves as the Project Coordinator for the Gambling Addiction Module within the Green Crescent Addiction Prevention Training Program (TBM). She is also a member of the Editorial Board of Addicta journal.

Her primary research interests include alcohol and substance use disorders, behavioral addictions, family and couple therapy, EMDR, and social psychiatry. She is the President of the Istanbul Branch of the Turkish Psychiatry Association and a member of several professional organizations, including the Family and Couple Therapy Association, the Addiction Psychiatry Association, the European Trauma Association, and the EMDR Association. Assoc. Prof. Altıntaş currently leads the Psychiatry Clinic at Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital.

Assoc. Prof. Adem Başpınar

Member of the Scientific Committee

Assoc. Prof. Adem Başpınar, born in Erzincan in 1981, completed his primary and secondary education in Kemah and his high school studies in Erzincan. He initially enrolled in the Turkish Language and Literature program at Marmara University in 1999 but later switched to the Sociology Department in 2001. He earned his master’s degree in Sociology from Istanbul University in 2010, with a thesis titled Military Sociology: History and Sources.

In 2010, he also began his doctoral studies in Sociology at Istanbul University, completing his Ph.D. in 2018 with a dissertation on Civil-Military Relations in the United States. Assoc. Prof. Başpınar joined Kırklareli University as a research assistant in 2010 and spent 2012 to 2015 as a visiting scholar at the University of Maryland, supported by a Council of Higher Education (YÖK) scholarship. He currently holds the position of associate professor at Kırklareli University.

Dr. Başpınar’s research focuses on military sociology, health sociology, disaster sociology, addiction sociology, and social psychology.

Assoc. Prof. Esra İşmen Gazioğlu

Member of the Scientific Committee

Assoc. Prof. Esra İşmen Gazioğlu graduated in 1990 from Istanbul University’s Faculty of Literature, Department of Educational Sciences. She completed her master’s degree in Educational Psychological Services at Marmara University's Institute of Social Sciences in 1993 and earned her doctorate in Educational Sciences from Istanbul University in 1999.

Between 1999 and 2000, she conducted research at the Ackerman Family Therapy Institute in New York. In 2001, she joined Istanbul University’s Hasan Ali Yücel Faculty of Education as an assistant professor in the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling. She was promoted to associate professor in 2010. Her academic work focuses on child abuse and neglect, theoretical frameworks, and addiction prevention.

Assoc. Prof. Hasan Volkan Kara

Member of the Scientific Committee

Assoc. Prof. Hasan Volkan Kara graduated from the English program at Marmara University School of Medicine and completed his residency in thoracic surgery at Yedikule Chest Diseases Hospital. He earned a master’s degree in Health Institutions Management from Marmara University’s Institute of Health Sciences, focusing on "Performance-Based Supplementary Payment Systems."

He fulfilled his military service as a Gendarmerie Medical Lieutenant at Van Military Hospital. During his compulsory service at Gümüşhane State Hospital as a thoracic surgeon, he also served as Deputy Provincial Health Director. In this role, he coordinated the Smoke-Free Air Campaign and played an active role as both an organizer and speaker in conferences and panels addressing the harms of tobacco use and addiction.

Assoc. Prof. Kara later joined the Ministry of Health’s Strategy Development Directorate, where he conducted financial analyses, developed performance-based payment models, and assessed resource efficiency and sustainability in healthcare. He also served as a faculty member in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Marmara University School of Medicine. During a year-long visiting scholarship at Duke University in North Carolina, he focused on minimally invasive cancer surgery (video-assisted thoracic surgery) and cancer cell culture research.

Currently, Assoc. Prof. Kara is affiliated with Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa School of Medicine and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Medical Education. He has authored numerous articles, reviews, and book chapters in national and international peer-reviewed journals and serves as a reviewer for several publications. His professional affiliations include membership and leadership roles in medical associations. His research interests include minimally invasive surgical techniques for lung cancer, adult education programs, behavioral change evaluation, and educational initiatives on tobacco, tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes.

 

Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Otrar

Member of the Scientific Committee

Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Otrar, born in 1971 in Eskişehir, graduated from Marmara University’s Atatürk Faculty of Education with a degree in Guidance and Psychological Counseling in 1993. He began his career as a guidance counselor in Bingöl and later in Istanbul before joining Marmara University as a research assistant in 1995. He earned his master’s degree in Psychological Services in Education from Marmara University’s Institute of Educational Sciences in 1997 and completed his doctorate in Guidance and Psychological Counseling in 2006.

He was appointed assistant professor in 2011 and achieved the title of associate professor in Educational Psychology in 2018. In 2017, he was appointed General Director of the Special Education and Guidance Services Directorate at the Ministry of National Education, a position he continues to hold.

Assoc. Prof. Otrar’s research interests include learning psychology, quantitative research methods, and the development of psychological assessment tools tailored to Turkey’s cultural context. He is married and father of two children.

Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Özdinç

Member of the Scientific Committee

Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Özdinç, born in 1984 in Alexandria, completed his primary and secondary education in İzmir. He graduated from Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine’s English Program in 2009. In 2010, he began his doctoral studies at Istanbul University’s Institute of Health Sciences, earning his Ph.D. in 2017 with a dissertation titled “An Ethical Evaluation of Türkiye’s Health Transformation Program from the Perspective of the Principle of Justice.”

Dr. Özdinç began his medical career in Sultanbeyli and later assumed various leadership roles within the Ministry of Health. He also served as a board member for the Turkish Green Crescent Society during its 70th and 71st terms and was the founding president of the Young Green Crescent.

In addition to his expertise in medical ethics and the history of medicine, Assoc. Prof. Özdinç has conducted significant research and published extensively on youth-related topics. Fluent in English and Arabic, he currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of History of Medicine and Ethics at Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine.

Assoc. Prof. Perihan Torun

Member of the Scientific Committee

Assoc. Prof. Perihan Torun began her career as a general practitioner before specializing in Public Health. She later earned a master's degree in Epidemiology in the UK, where she worked on public health service planning within the National Health Service (NHS) and participated in a European Commission-funded research project at the University of Manchester. Additionally, she developed and taught distance learning courses at the University of Liverpool and University of Sheffield, while also completing a postgraduate educator fellowship.

Upon returning to Türkiye, she conducted policy-focused research on migration and alcohol consumption at Bezmialem Vakıf University, before taking on the role of Director of Scientific Studies and Advocacy at the Turkish Green Crescent Society. She currently serves as the Head of the Department of Public Health at the Hamidiye Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences University, and is a board member of the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance.

Dr. Mehmet Sait Değer

Member of the Scientific Committee

Dr. Mehmet Sait Değer, a member of the Green Crescent Scientific Committee, was born in Bingöl in 1983. He completed his medical degree at Cerrahpaşa Medical School and has since held various roles in both the public and private sectors, working as a physician and administrator.

Dr. Değer has contributed to numerous national and EU-funded projects through non-governmental organizations, focusing on areas such as humanitarian aid, migrant health, primary healthcare, psychosocial support, and health education, both in Turkey and internationally. He continues to lead initiatives on youth health education, health policies, and migrant health in various regions of Türkiye.

He earned his Doctorate in Public Health from Istanbul University’s Istanbul Medical School. Currently, Dr. Değer is a faculty member at Hittite University’s Department of Public Health and serves as the Provincial Director of Health in Şırnak. He is married with three children.

Dr. İlyas Kaya

Member of the Scientific Committee

Dr. İlyas Kaya graduated from Istanbul University Istanbul Medical Faculty in 2008 after beginning his studies in 2002. He then completed his specialization in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the same faculty in 2013, continuing his work as a specialist. Since 2018, Dr. Kaya has been serving as a faculty member in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Istanbul University Istanbul Medical Faculty. He is married and has two children.

Dr. Eren Murat Dinçer

Member of the Scientific Committee

Dr. Eren Murat Dinçer completed his undergraduate studies in Guidance and Psychological Counseling at Marmara University in 2003, followed by a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Bilgi University in 2011. In 2019, he earned a second master’s degree in "Narrative Therapy and Community Work" from the University of Melbourne. He completed his Ph.D. at Marmara University in 2022, with a dissertation titled "The Role of Emotion Regulation and Moral Inconsistency in Psychological Well-being in Problematic Pornography Use: A Mixed-Methods Study." Dr. Dinçer has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses at Hasan Kalyoncu University and Bahçeşehir University. He currently works as a psychotherapist, specializing in individual, family, and couples therapy, while also offering training in online addiction, Narrative Therapy, and family therapy.