Ahmet Büyükgümüş, a Turkish political scientist and politician, was elected as a member of parliament for Yalova in the 27th and 28th terms of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. He served as President of the Türkiye-Norway Parliamentary Friendship Group and was a member of the Digital Platforms Commission in the Turkish Parliament. Within the party, he held positions including General President of the Youth Wings, member of the Central Decision and Executive Board, and Deputy Party Leader; in 2025 he was appointed as Organization Head of the Justice and Development Party.^【1】

Büyükgümüş completed his primary education in Yalova and pursued his undergraduate studies in the Department of Political Science at Galatasaray University after graduating from Istanbul Social Sciences High School. He holds master’s degrees from the Sociology Department of Istanbul University and the International Politics Program at SOAS University of London, with his academic work focusing on social theory, political science, and international relations.^【2】

Ahmet Büyükgümüş was born on 17 May 1990 in the Şişli district of Istanbul. His father’s name is Halil İbrahim and his mother’s name is Semiha. He completed his primary education in Yalova. The diverse social structure of Yalova, where different cultures and perspectives coexist, significantly influenced his early exposure to diverse ideas and his interest in public affairs.^【3】 He graduated from Istanbul Social Sciences High School in 2009. In the same year, he entered Galatasaray University’s Department of Political Science as the 30th highest scorer in the ÖSS national university entrance exam. He completed his undergraduate studies in 2014 as the top graduate of his class. He then pursued his master’s degree at Istanbul University’s Department of Sociology from 2014 to 2017 and simultaneously completed the Researcher Training Program at the TDV Center for Islamic Studies. Between 2016 and 2018, he advanced his academic work in international politics at SOAS University of London in the United Kingdom.^【4】

^{Ahmet Büyükgümüş (}Ak Parti⁾

Ahmet Büyükgümüş’s academic work has focused on political science, sociology, social theory, and international relations. His article “Pierre Bourdieu in Turkish,” written during his undergraduate years, was published in 2012 in Sosyoloji Dergisi. This work is a bibliographic and evaluative study addressing the challenges of translating Bourdieu’s thought into Turkish and its reception within the social sciences in Türkiye. In 2017, he completed his master’s thesis at Istanbul University’s Department of Sociology titled “Alexis de Tocqueville: His Life, Thought, Political Activities, and Social Scientific Method.”^【5】

In his thesis, Tocqueville’s life, political activities, intellectual world, and social scientific method were examined together within the framework of historical sociology. The central argument of the study is that the relationship between Tocqueville’s intellectual production and his political experience is decisive for understanding his thought.^【6】

Between 2016 and 2018, Büyükgümüş continued his academic research in international politics at SOAS University of London, where he earned a second master’s degree with his work titled “Alliance Formation and Dissolution: Debates on NATO After the Cold War.” In the published article bearing the same title, he analyzed NATO’s continued existence after the Cold War through the lenses of alliance theory, neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism, constructivism, and control management approaches.^【7】 After returning to Türkiye, he began his doctoral studies in the Department of Political Science at Galatasaray University. He also participated in internship programs at SETA’s offices in Ankara, Cairo, and Washington DC.^【8】

^{Ahmet Büyükgümüş (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Ahmet Büyükgümüş’s public and political engagement began before his university years through local participation processes in Yalova. From 2007 to 2014, he served as a member of the Yalova City Council Executive Board and as President of the Youth Council. During this period, he actively participated in projects focused on women, youth, and persons with disabilities.^【9】

Alongside his academic work, he held various positions over three terms on the Istanbul Provincial Youth Wings Management Board of the Justice and Development Party. His activities within the youth wings formed the initial phase of his rise within the party organization. On 11 May 2018, he was elected as General President of the Justice and Development Party’s Central Youth Wings at the 5th Ordinary Congress of the Central Youth Wings.^【10】

During his tenure as General President of the Youth Wings, he conducted activities with provincial and district organizations within the framework of congress processes, youth policies, and organizational operations. In 2021, during the process of the 6th Ordinary Congress of the Justice and Development Party Youth Wings, he announced that youth organizations had completed their congresses and that the central congress would proceed under the slogan “Youth, Lead the Way, Walk the Path You Believe In.” He also delivered a speech at the 6th Ordinary Congress of the Istanbul Provincial Youth Wings during the same period.^【11】

Ahmet Büyükgümüş was elected as a member of parliament for Yalova from the Justice and Development Party in the 27th General Elections held on 24 June 2018. In the Yalova electoral district, the Justice and Development Party won two seats and the Republican People’s Party won one; Ahmet Büyükgümüş was among the elected deputies.12 Following the 2023 general elections, he continued serving as a member of parliament for Yalova from the Justice and Development Party in the 28th term of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. During this term, he was a member of the Digital Platforms Commission.^【12】

^{Ahmet Büyükgümüş (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

In plenary sessions, he participated in the oath-taking ceremony for members of parliament and in debates on the 2024 central government budget and the 2022 final accounts law. He also took part in discussions within the Digital Platforms Commission on digital transformation, the commission’s working procedures, and digital media platforms.^【13】

In his legislative activities, he signed various bills introduced in 2024, including proposals for regulations on the defense industry, amendments to tax laws, and amendments to existing legislation. In the same year, he became the first signatory of a parliamentary motion for a general debate on the Srebrenica genocide and attacks against the Palestinian people. Additionally, he signed a motion proposing a parliamentary investigation into the gains, risks, and legal infrastructure of artificial intelligence.^【14】

In addition to his parliamentary duties, Ahmet Büyükgümüş held various positions within the central organization of the Justice and Development Party. At the 4th Extraordinary Grand Congress of the Justice and Development Party in 2023, he was elected as a member of the Central Decision and Executive Board. Following the 8th Ordinary Grand Congress of the Justice and Development Party on 23 February 2025, he was appointed as Deputy Party Leader and Organization Head.^【15】

^{Büyükgümüş'ün Sakarya Ziyaretinden Bir Kare (}Ak Parti⁾

As Organization Head, he played an active role in the party’s operations at provincial and regional levels. From the first day of his appointment, he met with party members across Türkiye to engage in comprehensive consultations with provincial chairpersons, members of parliament, Central Decision and Executive Board members, and organizational cadres. In his statements during this period, he framed organizational activities within the context of membership initiatives, field programs, and internal party coordination.16 In his 2026 announcement regarding the party’s membership numbers, citing data from the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, he reported that the party’s membership had reached 11,709,913. This announcement stands as one of the public-facing examples of the organizational and membership efforts undertaken during Büyükgümüş’s tenure as Organization Head.^【16】

Ahmet Büyükgümüş has been married to Reyyan Büyükgümüş since 2015. He speaks English and French and has intermediate proficiency in Arabic.^【17】