The Hon. Yasar Yakis

President of the OYED Young Leaders' Forums

Biography

Yasar Yakis completed his university studies in 1962 the Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University, and joined the diplomatic service. During his time in the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Yakis served in Antwerp, Belgium; Lagos, Nigeria; Brussels, Belgium; and Damascus, Syria. In 1988, Mr. Yakis became the Turkish Ambassador to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and in 1992 the Deputy Under-Secretary in the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in charge of Economic Affairs. He was then appointed as the Turkish Ambassador to Cairo in 1995 and Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations Office in Vienna in 1998. In 2000 and 2001, Mr. Yakis became the founding member of the Justice and Development Party. From the date of the establishment of the party to the general elections of November 3rd, 2002, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Party, in charge of International Relations. He was elected Member of Parliament in 2002 and was the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002-2003.