Ahmet Aras

Ahmet Aras, the 31st Mayor of our 142-year-old Municipality, was born on February 3, 1970 in Bodrum.

After completing his primary education at Cumhuriyet Elementary School and Bodrum Middle School, Ahmet Aras took the high school entrance exam and was awarded the opportunity to attend a Science High School as a boarding student.

Initially registering at Izmir Ataturk High School and later passing the Military High School exam, Ahmet Aras chose to continue his education at Maltepe Military High School.

After graduating from Maltepe Military High School, he graduated from the Military Academy as a Systems Engineer with the rank of Lieutenant. The professional career of Ahmet Aras began in Konya in 1992-1993 and continued in Ardahan, where he served for three years and was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant.

In 1996, Aras was appointed as the Head of the Bodrum Military Service Office and served in Bodrum until 2000. In 2000, Ahmet Aras was appointed as the Head of the Zara Military Service Office, where he served until 2004 and was promoted to the rank of Captain.

In 2004, he was appointed as the Head of the Viranşehir Military Service Office in Şanlıurfa and completed this duty with the rank of Major until 2008.

After this duty, Ahmet Aras was appointed to the Ministry of National Defense in 2008, and he served in the Ministry until the end of 2011. In 2012, he was assigned to the NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Kosovo, which is responsible for ensuring security and he was awarded the NATO Medal. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel during this mission.

In 2013, after serving 30 years in the military without having to give a single defense report, Ahmet Aras ended his military career by returning to Bodrum, where he had longed to be and deciding to pursue a career in the tourism sector. After retiring at his own request, he opened a tourism business called KEFİ, which is one of Bodrum’s most popular tourism facilities and continues to operate during the summer season, located on the paradise corner of Ortakent Beach in Bodrum.

In 2014, after being elected as the President of the Ortakent-Yahşi Development Association, Ahmet Aras also undertook important works for the development and promotion of Ortakent. During his Presidency, the Ortakent Yahşi Spring Festival, the Bitter Herb Festival and the Turkish Wheelchair Tennis Championship were organized, which added significant value to the promotion of Ortakent and Bodrum.

In 2015, Ahmet Aras joined the Bodrum Lions Club and was elected to the Board of Directors of the Bodrum Hoteliers Association (BODER) in 2016. He served on the Bodrum Chamber of Commerce Tourism Professional Committee, the Technical Committee of the Turkish Federation of Physically Disabled Athletes and participated in many social responsibility projects. He represented Bodrum and Türkiye at many national and international fairs. In his professional life, he has been awarded over one hundred awards, including outstanding service and appreciation awards above the NATO Medal.

In 2018, Ahmet Aras became a member of the Republican People’s Party, which was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish Armed Forces, with pride and decided to serve Bodrum and his country under the proud and honorable roof of the Republican People’s Party. In 2019, he started his duty as the 31st Mayor of Bodrum with the trust of his party and the people of Bodrum.

Throughout his childhood, youth, and professional life, Ahmet Aras has continuously emphasized the importance of lifelong learning and personal development. In addition to his political career, he continued to study Political Science and Public Administration at The Institute of Social Sciences of Kastamonu University and he is fluent in English. He is a swimming, pentathlon, skiing, diving, sailing, and tennis enthusiast. Ahmet Aras is the father of two daughters aged 13 and 23.