Newsletters
Turkish Airlines has appointed Prof. Murat Seker as its new chairman of the board and executive committee, replacing Ahmet Bolat in a sweeping leadership change formalized at the carrier's annual general meeting Thursday.
Bolat, who had led the airline for more than four years, resigned alongside chief executive Bilal Eksi and board member Prof. Mecit Es. The board simultaneously named Ahmet Olmustur as the new chief executive, filling the vacancy left by Eksi. The changes were disclosed in a filing to Türkiye's Public Disclosure Platform following the meeting, held at Turkish Airlines' headquarters VIP conference hall in Istanbul.
The airline thanked the outgoing executives for their contributions, while extending congratulations to the incoming leadership. Both Seker and Olmustur received congratulations from attendees following the meeting.
Bolat, 67, had led the carrier since January 2022, overseeing Turkish Airlines' post-pandemic recovery as passenger demand rebounded and operations returned to pre-crisis levels. He expanded the airline's global network, reinforcing its position as one of the world's largest carriers by number of international destinations, and championed an ambitious fleet growth strategy, including major aircraft orders aimed at growing the fleet to more than 800 aircraft by 2033. Under his watch, the company also strengthened its hub operations in Istanbul and worked to improve operational efficiency across its subsidiaries.
Seker, Bolat's replacement, has served as Turkish Airlines' chief financial officer since 2016 and was elected to the board in 2021. An industrial engineering graduate of Marmara University, he completed his economics doctorate at the University of Minnesota and subsequently worked for years as an economist at the World Bank before moving to the private sector.
Olmustur is a career insider who joined Turkish Airlines in 2000 as a call center agent and worked his way through virtually every level of the organization. Most recently he served as deputy chief executive responsible for marketing, sales and commercial operations. He is also known for his international educational background and experience at global aviation bodies, including IATA, the International Air Transport Association, the industry group that sets standards for much of the world's commercial aviation.
In additional appointments, Metin Gulsen, previously head of accounting and financial control, was named deputy chief executive for finance, while Harun Basturk, formerly regional sales chief, was appointed deputy chief executive for commercial affairs. Gulsen and Hasan Murat Mercan were also confirmed as new board members.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
