Sabiha Gökçen's unqualified administrators: Four out of five executives with double salaries have no connection to aviation!

It has been revealed that the individuals managing Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul receive double salaries. It was learned that four out of the five executives who receive double salaries have no connection to aviation.

According to the report by İsmail Arı from Birgün; Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the country's second-largest airport and one of the leaders in air and passenger traffic, has been operated for 22 years by the Airport Operation and Aviation Industries Corporation (HEAŞ). The management of HEAŞ, which handles millions of liras and is approximately 96 percent owned by the Presidency of Defense Industries, with the remaining shares held by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and the Turkish Aeronautical Association, is of a nature that will spark controversy.

NO EXECUTIVES HOLDING ONLY ONE POSITION

Only one of the five members of the HEAŞ board of directors has a background in aviation. Furthermore, the board members of HEAŞ, all of whom receive double salaries, and their educational backgrounds are as follows:

Chairman of the Board Fatih Çakmak: He is also a Board Member of the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMİ). Previously, he served as a Deputy Mayor responsible for Technical Affairs, Cleaning Affairs, Veterinary Affairs, Health Affairs, and Park and Gardens Directorates at the AKP-run Beyoğlu Municipality.

Deputy Chairman of the Board Metin Yerebakan: He is a materials engineer and also the Chairman of the Board of Teknopark Istanbul.

Board Member Murat Gül: Murat Gül, who serves as a "ministerial advisor" at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, is also a Department Head at the DHMİ General Directorate. Gül received his undergraduate education in visual and communication arts and his master's degree in photography and media.

Board Member Ayfer Kara: A lawyer by profession, Kara is both the Head of the Strategy Development Department at DHMİ and a legal counsel. In other words, Kara holds three positions simultaneously. 

Board Member Çetin Orhan: Known to be a pilot, Orhan also serves as the Head of the Presidential Air Transport Department.

THE GENERAL MANAGER IS ALSO A LANDSCAPER

Faruk Kacır, who has been serving as the General Manager of HEAŞ since December 2022, also has no connection to aviation. A graduate of Imam Hatip High School and the Kocaeli University Faculty of Communication, Department of Public Relations and Publicity, Kacır was the general manager of Istanbul Ağaç ve Peyzaj A.Ş., a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), during the AKP era.