Aslı Özelli joined AmCham Türkiye in July 2018 as Executive Director. Before joining AmCham, Aslı was the Deputy Secretary General at DEIK (Foreign Economic Relations Board).
Aslı Özelli served as Member at Large to AmChams in Europe (ACE) Executive Committee for 2 terms between 2022-2025. ACE is the AmCham Network covering 47 countries in Europe and Eurasia.
She also is nominated as a Million Women Mentorship Program Ambassador by U.S. Chamber, to support MWM’s goals between American companies in Turkey as part of STEM initiative.
During her career at DEIK for 18 years, Aslı was in charge of 27 different countries (United States, Albania, Argentina, Austria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela) Business Councils and Sectoral Business Councils (Health Tourism Business Council, Higher Education Business Council (studyinTurkey), Energy Business Council, Logistics Business Council and International Consultancy Business Council.)
After graduation, she worked as an advisor for the then NATO Parliamentarian Committee Turkish Chapter Chair and worked for Ericsson Marketing department in Ankara, respectively. During her university years, Aslı had internships as a legal officer at UNCHR Ankara and as a journalist at Deutche Presse Agentur (DPA) in Ankara.
Aslı earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ)International Relations. She graduted from Izmir Ozel Turk High School and was selected among few for the first American Intercultural Student Exchange (AISE) Scholarship program where she had her Junior High Year in Seattle, WA. She is married with 2 kids.
asli.ozelli(at)amchamturkey.com
Pınar Işlak is the Communications Director of AmCham Türkiye since March 2016, responsible for external relations covering media relations, social media management, event coordination, sponsorships, and content creation including written or digital materials and talking points for the Chair.
Pınar gained extensive communications experience at Citibank, one of the leading global banks, between 2006-2014 as the Communications and Public Affairs Executive. During her role at Citi, she was responsible for media relations, reputation and crisis management, internal communications, event management and corporate social responsibility. Pınar also contributed to the top management reporting to the Chief of Staff to the CEO for four consecutive years (2010-2014). Prior to joining AmCham Türkiye, Pinar also worked as a visiting Communications Associate in 2015 at AmCham UK, based in London.
During her professional career Pınar led numerous international and local projects including but not limited to: AmCham Awards (2019-present), AmCham Women Executive Mentorship Program (2016-present), Citi Micro-Entrepreneurship Awards (2006-2014), Citi Global Community Day (2006-2014), Citi Foundation Annual CSR Projects (2006-2014).
Pınar also organized and contributed to high-level events including: AmCham Awards Galas, AmCham Türkiye-U.S. Business Summit, Citi European Advisory Council Türkiye Summit, IMF 2009 Annual Meetings Istanbul, Citi 200 Years Events, FT Türkiye Summits, EuroFinance Annual Conferences.
Pinar gained her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Boğazici University. She holds an MBA degree from Galatasaray University and an MA degree in International Marketing from Cardiff Met University, UK.
pinar.islak(at)amchamturkey.com
Gözde Önal joined AmCham Türkiye as Government Affairs Director as of November 2025. In this role, she leads the Chamber’s government engagement and policy advocacy efforts, building strategic partnerships with public institutions, regulators, and industry stakeholders to support AmCham’s mission and initiatives.
Before joining AmCham Türkiye, Gözde Önal served at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for more than a decade where she managed economic and regulatory engagement across key sectors including health, technology, trade, energy, and climate change. In this role, she acted as a primary liaison between U.S. and Turkish government institutions, business associations, and regulatory bodies, facilitating dialogue and cooperation on policy and investment priorities. Her work focused on supporting bilateral economic initiatives and conducting policy analysis to strengthen collaboration between the two countries.
Earlier in her career, she held senior business development positions at OnePIN Inc. and Erkunt Tractor, overseeing operations and partnerships across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She also gained experience in banking and small business consulting in Türkiye and the United States.
She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Iowa State University and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Bilkent University. She is a graduate of TED Ankara College. She has completed specialized training in Climate Diplomacy, and Oil & Gas Policy at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. She is married with two kids.
gozde.onal(at)amchamturkey.com
Elif Soyer joined AmCham Türkiye in August 2022 as Member Relations Coordinator and was appointed Member Relations & Business Development Director in 2024.
With nearly 30 years of professional experience, Soyer has an extensive background in business development, sales, member and stakeholder relations, strategic partnerships, project management, and people management. Throughout her career, she has held various responsibilities across the private sector, international projects, and non-profit organizations, working closely with multinational companies, business leaders, and a broad range of stakeholders.
At AmCham Türkiye, Soyer leads member relations and business development, with responsibility for new member acquisition, strengthening engagement with existing members, developing membership models and new areas of collaboration, and enhancing the overall member experience. She also focuses on expanding AmCham Türkiye’s connections across the business ecosystem, facilitating companies’ engagement with the AmCham network, and fostering sustainable collaboration among members.
Prior to joining AmCham Türkiye, Soyer served as Istanbul Project Coordinator for an EU project carried out within the framework of international cooperation. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Sequa. Earlier in her career, she held senior sales and management roles, building extensive experience in business development, customer management, and team leadership.
Soyer holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Istanbul University and master’s degrees in Occupational Health and Safety from Üsküdar University and Management of Non-Governmental Organizations from Istanbul Medeniyet University.
elif.soyer(at)amchamturkey.com
Ayhan Yıldırım joined AmCham Türkiye as Director of Finance and Administration in August 2025. Prior to joining AmCham, he spent nearly 25 years at T. Garanti Bankası A.Ş. (BBVA), where he served as SME Banking Relationship Manager for the last 15 years.
Ayhan holds a degree in Banking and Insurance from Anadolu University. He holds Capital Markets (SPK) and Insurance Training Center (SEGEM) certifications.
ayhan.yildirim(at)amchamturkey.com
Alina İltutmuş joined AmCham Türkiye as Government Affairs Coordinator in August 2026. In this role, she supports government relations, committee coordination, stakeholder engagement, policy research, and advocacy activities.
Prior to joining AmCham Türkiye, Alina worked at the United Nations Global Compact Network Türkiye, where she coordinated participant and stakeholder engagement across private sector, government, and civil society stakeholders. Previously, she worked as a Researcher at the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM), focusing on foreign information manipulation and interference. She also worked as a Project Assistant at Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum, supporting the Business Against Domestic Violence initiative, and as a Membership Coordinator at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London.
Alina holds an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, which she completed as a Jean Monnet Scholar, and a BSc in International Relations from Middle East Technical University. She was also awarded the European Forum Alpbach Scholarship in 2023.
alina.iltutmus(at)amchamturkey.com