Abdullah TİVNİKLİ

Born in Erzurum in 1959, Abdullah Tivnikli completed his primary and secondary education in Erzurum. He earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and his Master's degree in Business Administration. In 1986, alongside his brother Fahreddin Tivnikli, he founded Eksim Dış Ticaret AŞ. Abdullah Tivnikli continued his success in food and foreign trade through investments in energy and real estate, turning Eksim Holding into one of Turkey's leading industrial holdings. He was a visionary entrepreneur in numerous sectors, including participation banking, telecommunications, food, and energy. During his time in the UK, Abdullah Tivnikli closely studied and initiated the modeling of participation banking. He played a pioneering role in establishing the legal framework for participation banking in Türkiye and in the founding of Albaraka Türk and Kuveyt Türk. From 1988, he served as a Board Member of Kuveyt Türk Participation Bank, became the Vice Chairman of the Board in 2001, and served as a Board Member of Türk Telekom from 2008 onwards. Abdullah Tivnikli did not limit his life to business and trade. He always dedicated time and resources to charitable and foundation activities both domestically and internationally. In 2009, he founded the Istanbul Research and Education Foundation (İSAR), also known as İSAR Vakfı. He was among the founders of many foundations and organizations, including İSAR Vakfı and SETA. Additionally, he was a Member of the Board of Trustees of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University and served as the Honorary Consul of Bahrain. Abdullah Tivnikli passed away on November 6, 2018. Following his death, İSAR Vakfı was renamed Abdullah Tivnikli İSAR Vakfı.