Advisory Board

Dr. Okan Yardımcı completed his undergraduate studies in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at Middle East Technical University (METU). He received training in regulatory economics in energy markets at Michigan State University, earned his LL.M. degree from Penn State Dickinson School of Law, and completed a Ph.D. in finance at Hacettepe University. He also conducted post-doctoral research on energy geopolitics at the University of Oxford.

He began his career as a reservoir engineer at Perenco and in 2006 joined the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) as an Assistant Energy Expert. Over the years, he has worked in areas including energy tariffs, natural gas, electricity and petroleum markets. He currently serves as a Group Head at EMRA.

In parallel with his regulatory career, Dr. Yardımcı teaches part-time at METU, Bilkent University, Hacettepe University and various international institutions, offering courses in energy economics, investment finance and energy law.

Sultan Turut Balioglu has over 15 years of experience in the Turkish energy sector. She has worked in the Electricity and Natural Gas Market Departments of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), providing expertise in renewable energy projects, electricity and gas market regulations, and merger, acquisition, and foreign investment processes.

She actively contributes to key projects such as the evaluation of wind and solar power projects co-located storage systems, the assessment of hydrogen technologies for decarbonization

Born in Ankara in 1961, he graduated from Çankaya High School in 1978 and from Ankara University Faculty of Law in 1982. He began his judicial career in 1986 as a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Ovacık (Tunceli) and served as a Judge in Develi between 1987 and 1992. In 1992, he was appointed as a Rapporteur Judge at the Supreme Court until 2003. He was then appointed as a Judge in Ankara and served as a member of the 6th Ankara Commercial Court of First Instance. In 2008, he became the Presiding Judge of the same court. In 2014, he was appointed as the Presiding Judge of the 3rd Ankara Commercial Court of First Instance. He retired from the judiciary in 2017.

Mehmet Suat Kayıkçı graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Law in 2001. In 2011, he completed his master’s degree in Environmental and Energy Law at Queen Mary, University of London.

After completing his legal internship at the Ankara Bar Association, Kayıkçı began his professional career as an assistant legal advisor at the Ministry of Environment. In September 2004, he was appointed as an assistant expert at the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), and in January 2008, he was promoted to Energy Expert. He concluded his tenure at EMRA in June 2014 and became one of the founding partners of LBF Partners Law and Consultancy.

During his time at EMRA, Kayıkçı participated in regulatory work related to the electricity, natural gas, petroleum, and LPG markets; provided legal opinions on the institution's activities and operations; and took active roles as a legal expert in various projects.

Kayıkçı has given presentations as a trainer and speaker on numerous platforms in the field of energy law, and he has authored books, articles, and commentaries on energy-related topics.