Kemal Vural Tarlan
Kemal Vural Tarlan is a researcher and a documentary photographer.
Since 2000, Kemal Vural Tarlan has been conducting visual sociology and anthropology research on Dom Gypsy communities living in the Middle East. His studies, articles and photos were featured in numerous international symposia, congresses, exhibitions and other journals. He has written articles on the rights of refugees from the Middle East and worked as an activist.
Since 2011, he has been conducting research on Syrian refugees and studying immigration theories and social cohesion. He lectured on photography and photojournalism and ethics as a visiting lecturer at Gaziantep University Faculty of Communication until 2021.
He is a board member of the Cross-Regional Center for Refugees and Migrants (CCRM) network based in Beirut.
Emine Doğan
She has been working as an early childhood educator in Gaziantep for 10 years. Within the organization, she is the founder and one of the coordinators of Matbakh || Mutfak Workshop, which organizes academic events and implements projects. She has a dissertation on the women solidarity built around kitchen programs.
Hala Khankan
She is a Syrian refugee who migrated to Turkey after the war in Syria when she was 17 in 2013. She joined Kirkayak Kultur in 2014 as a volunteer where she was introduced to activism and feminist work. She is currently working in an international organization working with migrants.
Sinem İnan
Elif Sinem İnan’s Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, where she gained in-depth experience and understanding of the various aspects of urban development, such as urban studies, transportation, and community engagement.
Zerrin Alkan
She graduated from Elazığ University with a degree in Environmental Engineering in 2013. Her first involvement in civil society work was through Kırkayak Kültür, and since 2013 she has worked with national and international non-governmental organizations. She is currently continuing her professional work in the field of migration at an international organization.
Ayşegül Ateş
She graduated from Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine. She completed her specialization in Family Medicine at Ankara Training and Research Hospital.
She completed her master‘s thesis on “Fertility Behaviors of Immigrated Syrian Women” in Women’s Studies at Gaziantep University. She has been involved in various non-governmental organizations for many years.
She was one of the founders of Kırkayak Kültür in 2010. She is the coordinator of the Culture and Art Program of Kırkayak Kültür and the International Zeugma Film Festival. Also she is in the Mutfak II Matbakh team. She continues her studies on migration, gender, coexistence, right to health, culture and arts.
Fatma Çoşkun Caymaz
After graduating from the Department of Sociology at Muğla University, she completed her master’s degree in Sociology and General Methodology at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. During her university years, she gained field experience by participating in various academic studies and research projects.
Since 2018, she has been working at Kırkayak Kültür, particularly on the Dom and Abdal communities. She continues to actively work in the areas of human rights, education, refugee rights, and gender equality, as part of ensuring access to fundamental rights and services for disadvantaged communities.
Zühal Gezicier
She is a Dom woman. She also focuses her research particularly on Dom society living in the Middle East and the Southeastern region of Turkey.
In 2019, she completed her master’s degree at the Institute of Migration, Department of Women’s Studies at Gaziantep University. Her thesis, titled “Transformation of Gender Perception in Dom Society”, examined changes in gender roles during the transition from nomadic to settled life. In the 2022/23 academic year, she was an RGPP (Roma Graduate Preparation Program) student in the Roma Studies program at Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, completing studies in social anthropology, Roma identity, migration, and human rights, and finalized her article “Dispossession of the Body of Dom Women during the Transition from Craft Nomadism to the Informal Economy.”
Specifically, she studies anti-Gypsyism and forms of discrimination, nomadic and settled life practices of the Dom, cultural codes and everyday life practices, women’s poverty and forms of dispossession, oral history, and Dom Memory Studies. Her goal is to make the memories, culturals, rights struggles, and social transformations of Dom communities visible through a multidisciplinary perspective.
Kinem Hazal Tanyeri
She graduated from Gaziantep University, Faculty of Communication, Department of
Journalism.
She first joined Kırkayak Culture, Arts and Nature Association as a volunteer in 2019 and has
been serving as the Communication – Culture and Arts Coordinator since 2022. In this role,
she manages Kırkayak Culture’s podcast productions, social media content creation and
design work, and plays an active professional role in the organization of various cultural and
artistic events, most notably the annual Zeugma Film Festival.
Continuing her career in journalism, Tanyeri produces content on rights-based journalism,
migration, sports, and gender issues for various media outlets. She holds an international press
card.
Merve Tüter
She graduated from İnönü University with a degree in Political Science and Public Administration in 2019. During her university years, she volunteered with various civil society organizations focusing on ecology and sustainability. In 2022, she joined the Kırkayak Kültür team as a volunteer, and since 2023, she has been working professionally within the Kırkayak Kültür – Mutfak||Matbakh program. She currently serves as the Mutfakna Project Coordinator and actively takes part in the organizing team of gender-focused programs such as the Feminist Theory School and the Gender Studies Workshop
Beyza Güngör
Graduated from the Social Work Department of Manisa Celal Bayar University in 2022. Her undergraduate thesis focused on gender equality and family roles. In 2023, she worked for nine months as a social worker in the field with the Home Health and Social Services Association during the post-earthquake recovery process. Since April 2024, she has been working as a social worker in the Protection Program at Kırkayak Culture, Arts and Nature Association.
As of 2025, she has started her Master’s studies in the Women’s Studies program at Gaziantep University. Her work focuses on gender equality, community-based social services, and post-disaster social support mechanisms.
Leyla İnce
She graduated from Gaziosmanpaşa University with a degree in Political Science and International Relations in 2019. In 2023, she worked in the field as part of earthquake response efforts at Gaziantep AFAD. Since October 2024, she has been working at Kırkayak Kültür Art and Nature Association, where she currently serves as Finance and Financial Affairs Officer, responsible for budget planning, financial reporting, and the management of the association’s financial processes.
