Our team

Ayçe İdil Ağca graduated from the Department of International Relations at Ege University. She began her career in media and civil society, focusing on content creation and communications. Throughout her professional career in the non-profit sector, she has worked in the fields of corporate communications, digital communications, campaign management, content production, visibility and outreach activities, and stakeholder engagement.

Since October 2025, she has been working at Akdeniz Koruma as a Communications Specialist.

Ayşenur began working in the international civil society sector while studying International Relations at Ege University. Through her work — from fundraising and mobilisation campaigns at Greenpeace to youth communication projects in Croatia under the European Solidarity Corps — she developed expertise in climate justice and grassroots activism. She worked as a Project Assistant on EU-funded projects at the Buğday Association, and through Oxfam and CAN Europe’s SPARK programme she continues to collaborate with European policymakers and climate actors. Alongside her professional work, she applies her skills in communication, community building and activism through facilitation, training and creative volunteering for social and ecological transformation. She serves as a Project Manager at the Mediterranean Conservation Foundation.

She graduated from Anadolu University, Faculty of Business Administration, with a degree in Business Administration. Prior to joining Akdeniz Koruma, she worked in the corporate sector in finance and accounting. She joined the organization in 2023 as an Administrative Affairs Assistant and currently serves as Finance Officer.

Ezgi graduated from the Department of Biology at Ege University. After completing her master’s degree at the Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology of Dokuz Eylül University, she began her PhD studies.

In 2015 she completed training in conservation project management and leadership by attending the 2015 CLP Conservation Management and Leadership Training Workshop organised by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) at the Barrier Lake Field Station in Alberta, Canada. In 2016 she took part in the EDGE of Existence Conservation Tools Course held at Gawahon Eco Park in the Philippines (with a marine science training course on Danjugan Island). In 2017 she attended the EDGE of Existence Conservation Leadership Course at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) as an “EDGE Fellow”.

Having taken part in the Mediterranean Conservation Society’s research on sandbar sharks in 2015–2016, Ezgi has been working as a Scientific Monitoring Specialist at the Mediterranean Conservation Foundation since 2016.

Since 2024, he has been working as an Orhaniye Marine Ranger at the Mediterranean Conservation Foundation.

Işıl Elif Arslan completed her undergraduate studies in Sociology (English) at Middle East Technical University and her master’s degree at the Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies. She has worked in project management with the private sector and international organisations. In this role she worked with programme and project teams and took an active part in planning and implementing projects on migration, sustainability, corporate governance and capacity building. Since 2024 she has been working as a Project Manager at the Mediterranean Conservation Foundation.

She graduated from the Advertising Department of the Faculty of Communication at Ege University and completed her master’s degree in Advertising at Ege University. She worked as a Corporate Communications Specialist in non-governmental organisations and corporate companies. She joined the Mediterranean Conservation Foundation in 2021 as Communications Specialist and currently serves as Communications Coordinator.

Middle East Technical University graduate Kayhan Güçeli completed his undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering before earning an MBA from North Central College. Throughout much of his career, he held managerial positions in Operational Excellence within the automotive and medical device industries in the United States, where he lived for 25 years.

His passion for the sea and underwater life began during childhood while snorkeling along the coast of İskenderun. During his university years, he actively participated in underwater research and training activities through the METU Underwater Society. In 1988, he volunteered for three months in the Caretta caretta Monitoring Project carried out on Dalyan Beach. In 1992, he operated his own diving school for four years in Turunç, Marmaris, Muğla.

Between 2023 and 2025, Kayhan Güçeli served as General Manager of Akdeniz Koruma Vakfı. Since 2026, he has continued his work at the foundation as Technical Advisor.

Kayhan Güçeli is married, has two children, and currently lives in Urla, İzmir.

He works as a Gökova Marine Ranger at the Mediterranean Conservation Foundation.

Since 2023, he has been working as a Karacasöğüt Marine Ranger at the Mediterranean Conservation Foundation.

He graduated from the Department of Sociology at İzmir University of Economics in 2021, where he also completed a minor in Media and Communication and graduated as the top-ranking student in his department. In 2024, he completed his master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations. He has worked both professionally and as a volunteer in the field of gender policy within civil society and international relations. Since June 2026, he has been working at Mediterranean Conservation Foundation as a Corporate Partnerships and Fundraising Officer.

Sezgi Kocagöz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Energy Technology from Delft University of Technology. Throughout her career, she has worked in areas including wind and solar energy, climate change, and sustainability, with the aim of combining her engineering background with nature conservation and environmental solutions.

Her areas of focus include climate action, biodiversity conservation, the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems, and nature-based solutions. She began her journey with Akdeniz Koruma as a volunteer and, since June 2026, has been working as a Project Manager, contributing to the implementation of projects focused on marine conservation and biodiversity.

She graduated from the Banking and Insurance Department at Istanbul University. Throughout nearly 10 years of experience in the corporate sector, she worked in operations management, process development, team coordination, and operational risk management. At different stages of her career, she took on a range of responsibilities, from managing operational processes to team and risk management.

In 2026, she transitioned to the non-profit sector and joined Mediterranean Conservation as an Administrative Affairs and Human Resources Officer. Her ICF-accredited coaching training brings an additional perspective to her people- and process-oriented approach.