'I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY TO INVEST IN THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY AND IN THE LANDS WE WERE BORN IN'

Aydın Doğan was born in Kelkit in 1936 as the son of one of the well-established families of the region.

He completed his primary and secondary education in Kelkit and his high school education in Erzincan. Doğan studied at the Istanbul University Education of Economics and Commerce between 1958 and 1961 and was the president of the "Student Association" during his student years. After enrolling in the Mecidiyeköy Tax Office in 1959, he started trading in sectors such as automobiles, commercial vehicles, and construction machinery. Doğan, who founded his first private company in 1961, had a presence in wholesale trade until 1970. Aydın Doğan, by further developing his activities in trade, established a new company in 1974 and entered the industrial field. In the years following 1974; he held important roles such as Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Council Member and Board Member, Turkey Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges Board Member.

Aydın Doğan entered the world of publishing by purchasing Milliyet Newspaper in 1979 and Hürriyet Newspaper in 1994, thereby validating his presence in the media. As a rising star for his work in the media field, Doğan has held the role of President in the Turkey Union of Newspaper Owners between the years of 1986 and 1996. Aydın Doğan was the first Turk to be elected as the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors at the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) in 2004.

Doğan, who has numerous awards and certificates of appreciation, was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Service by the Turkish Government in 1999. He also received honorary doctorate degrees from Girne American University in 1999 and from Ege University, Baku State University, and Marmara University in 2000, 2001, and 2005, respectively.

While continuing his success in business life, Aydın Doğan, who established the Aydın Doğan Foundation in 1996, had all the services he had been doing for the society all his life, under one roof, and focused the services of the Foundation he established in the fields of education, culture, public health, scientific research, sports, and economy. After the foundation was established, many schools, dormitories, sports halls, and parks bearing the names of him and his family members were built. At the same time, the Aydın Doğan Foundation started to organize the Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition every year, one of the most prestigious awards in the world and supported those studying in the field of communication with another competition; the Young Communicators Competition. Aydın Doğan Award, on the other hand, has supported various fields of culture and arts from literature to music, from architecture to social sciences.

Aydın Doğan has been among the top taxpayers of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce since 1977. His business journey, which started with three people in 1961, continues today with more than 20 thousand employees in direct subsidiaries, strategic partnerships, and commercial offices. Doğan Group providing services to a broad consumer audience today has become one of the leading groups in Turkey. Aydın Doğan is married, has four children and seven grandchildren.