Executive Director, Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization (ASAM)
İbrahim Vurgun Kavlak completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy at Hacettepe University in 2002 and earned his Master’s Degree in Human Rights from the same university in 2007. He also serves as an Advisory Committee Member at Hacettepe University's Center for Migration and Politics Research (HUGO).
Since 2005, he has served as Executive Director of the Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization (ASAM), a leading non-governmental organization in migration and humanitarian response, established in Ankara in 1995. Under his leadership, ASAM expanded its international presence by opening its first overseas office in Athens in 2016, followed by a second in Brussels in 2019—bringing 30 years of expertise in migration and refugee support to the global stage. To extend this experience to conflict-affected communities, ASAM launched operations in Ukraine in 2023 and expanded into Syria in 2025, focusing on Aleppo and Damascus. He has also pioneered key institutional initiatives, including Migrant TV, the ASAM Migration Academy, and a specialized Search and Rescue Team.
Throughout his career, he has overseen over 200 projects across Türkiye in the areas of irregular migration, migration management, protection, health, MHPSS, livelihoods, education, skills-building, WASH, and social cohesion. In this capacity, he has led strategic partnerships with national public institutions, the EU, and key UN agencies, including UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UN Women, and ILO.
Mr. Kavlak is married and has a son.