- Source: Murat Kurum
Murat Kurum (born 7 May 1976) is a Turkish engineer, a member of parliament for the electoral district of Istanbul and former minister of Environment and Urbanization from July 2018 to June 2023. He is now the current minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change since July 2024.
Early life
Murat Kurum was born on May 7, 1976, in Çankaya, Ankara, to Mehmet Kurum of Karapınar, Konya and Satı Kurum of Belpınar, Kızılcahamam, Ankara. His father, Mehmet, was a civil servant at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, the predecessor to the ministry where Murat would later be appointed to as the minister. His mother, Satı, was a housewife.
Murat Kurum briefly attended Atatürk Primary School in Mardin before moving back to Ankara to finish his primary education at Seyranbağları Primary School. He was then educated at Kocatepe Mimar Kemal High School in Ankara. Kurum later entered the Turkish university entrance exam where he gained admission to a food engineering program. However, he retook the exam the following year to study construction engineering.
He graduated from Selçuk University in 1999 with an engineering degree in construction. Kurum later compleded his master's degree with a thesis on urban transformation from Okan University in 2017.
Career
Between 1999 and 2005, he worked as an engineer, site manager and coordinator in various private organizations operating in the field of construction.
Between 2005 and 2006, he worked as an expert at the Mass Housing Development Administration Ankara Implementation Department. Between 2006 and 2009, he worked as the European Side Implementation Branch Manager of TOKİ Istanbul Implementation Department Emlak Konut GYO A.Ş., a subsidiary of TR Prime Ministry Mass Housing Administration, since 2009. He served as General Manager and member of the board of directors. He was appointed as the Minister of Environment and Urbanization on July 10, 2018.
On January 7, 2024 it was announced that Kurum would be running for the position of Mayor of Istanbul. After losing the election he continued his duty as an MP until he was appointed as the Minister of Environment and Urbanizaton for the second time on July 2, 2024.
Personal life
Kurum is married and has three children.