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Okutan, Nuri

Okutan, Nuri (b. 1962, Eğirdir), statesman and winner of the 2006 Vehbi Koç Award for education.

He graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Political Science Department of Business Administration in 1986, before completing a master’s degree at Uludağ University. Starting work in the same year, he served as district governor in  various provinces and assumed the roles of branch manager, department head and deputy director in the Ministry of Interior. He served as the governor of Siirt (2000), Sakarya (2004), Trabzon (2007) and Şanlıurfa (2009). Okutan was appointed to Ankara in August 2011, retaining the rank as a non-commissioned governor, but resigned from the post in 2015 to become an Isparta MP.

While Okutan was governor of Siirt, he championed pre-school education and education for girls. As a result of work carried out during his governorship, pre-school education participation rates in Siirt rose from 4% to 64%, and Siirt rose to the top of pre-school education rankings in Turkey. During his governorship of Sakarya, he implemented several projects with the theme, “Let's Do It For Education, Sakarya”; these included developing pre-school education and encouraging reading habits among children. Okutan also placed great importance on cultural and architectural work. In recognition for his contribution to education, Okutan received the Vehbi Koç Award in 2006.

Abadan Unat, Nermin

Political scientist who received the Vehbi Koç Award for education in 2012.

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