Mehmet ZELKA, Ph.D

Prof. Mehmet Zelka was born in Reyhanlı in 1955. Following his graduation from Reyhanlı Secondary School, he attended Kuleli Military High School and then Military Academy and graduated with the rank of Lieutenant (1978). He studied in the Economics-Statistics Department in Land Warfare Academy. After his graduation, he studied English as a private student and also attended some departmental courses. For his Masters degree, he studied Economic in the Institute of Social Sciences in Hacettepe University (1981), and Ph.D. degree in the Faculty of Political Sciences in Ankara University(1986). Between 1981 -1987, he served as a Lecturer in the Military Academy. In 1987 until 1992, he was appointed to the Labour Relations Division of the Ministry of Defense. Following this, he worked in the Military Academy again as a lecturer in Economics. He continued to lecture in the Military Academy during his duty in the Ministry. He took part in the preparation and execution of labor-related Collective Business Agreement in military establishments; also as an MPM Board Member and the Chairman of the Sub-Commission in the International Convention. During these duties, he continued his studies in Labor Economics. After he was assigned to the Military Academy as an Associate Professor (1992), he served as the Head of the Economics Group as an academic duty and lectured in economics at the same time. During the 1993-1994 academic year, he taught economics in the Police Academy. In 1994, he was assigned to the Education Branch in the Second Army Command in (Malatya).He requested his retirement in 1996 and was retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Following his retirement, he served as the Head of the Economics Department in the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and also as the Head of the Social Sciences Institute in the Mustafa Kemal University between 1997 and 2004. Starting from 2004, he was invited to serve as the Dean of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences in Beykent University. After he served there for two years, he founded his own international trade company and also worked as a chartered accountant. In 2007, he became the founder Rector of the International Balkan University (in Skopje, Macedonia). He resigned from there at the end of 2010 After returning home, he started to work it the University of Üsküdar at the beginning of 2011. He is still serving as Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences in Uskudar University. He is married and has seven children. He speaks advanced English and Arabic.