Politician,
statesman, deputy, minister, current Culture and Tourism minister. He was born
in Kahramanmaras, Elbistan in 1966. He completed his primary and secondary
school education in Elbistan and continued with his education in Istanbul. He graduated
from Bahcelievler Kocasinan High School (1984) and Marmara University, Faculty
of Theology (1991). He has completed his masters’ studies in 1997 at Istanbul
University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Social Structure and
Social Change. He continues with his doctoral studies at the Sociology
Depatment of Faculty of Sciences and Letters, Istanbul University.
He started to
work as a teacher in 1992. After working as a teacher; he provided consultancy
on Urban studies, local governance and political communication. He worked as
Behavioral Sciences Department Head in a private university. He worked as a
consultant in ITO (2005), and he was the Executive Board Member of Istanbul
Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club between 2007 and 2009. He taught
effective communication courses in Political Academy actualized by JDP Istanbul
Provincial Head in 2003 and MBA level Organizational Behavior lectures at a
foundation university.
He took part in
2004 and 2009 Local Elections and 2007 General Elections campaigns of JDP and
provided consultancy services in various abroad election campaigns. Unal also
took part in strategy teams executing the election campaigns in countries such
as Iraq, Malaysia, Cyprus, Lebanon and Egypt and he was elected as MKYK member
in 2009 JDP Third Ordinary Congress; being assigned as R&D Vice President.
Mahir Unal was
elected as Kahramanmaras Deputy of JDP in TGNA for 24th, 25th and 26th
legislation periods. He was JDP Group
Deputy Chairman in 24th and 25th terms. He is assigned as the Minister of
Culture and Tourism in 64th Government. Mahir Unal is married and father of one
child; he speaks Arabic and English.
SOURCE: Mahir Ünal (akparti.org.tr,
6.12.2015), Bakanımız (kultur.gov.tr, 6.12.2015).