Nurten ÖZTÜRK - Educongress

Founding Board Member, OPET Petroleum Inc.
President, TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council

Born in 1949 in Mengen, Nurten Öztürk completed her primary and secondary education in Mengen. She then attended Sinop Girls’ Teacher Training School, Çapa Higher Teacher Training School, and the Faculty of Science, where she graduated from the Zoology-Botany Department. In 1971, she began her career as a biology teacher at Akşehir Teacher Training School. That same year, she married her schoolmate, Fikret Öztürk. Throughout her teaching career, she prioritized laboratory studies. In 1984, she transitioned from teaching to the private sector, joining the family business, Öztürkler Petrol Ltd., which had been established in 1980.

In 1992, she and her husband, Fikret Öztürk, moved to Istanbul, where they founded OPET Petroleum Inc., Türkiye’s first domestic fuel company. Since its establishment, Nurten Öztürk has actively contributed to various departments within the company. She has also led several social responsibility projects aimed at addressing societal issues. She was the visionary and leader behind impactful initiatives such as the “Clean Restroom Campaign,” “Green Road Project,” “Model Village Project,” “Respect for History Project,” “Traffic Detectives Project,” “Clean Business Project,” and “Respect for Nature Project.” Through these efforts, she has directly influenced the lives of more than 20 million people.

Nurten Öztürk has received numerous awards in recognition of her contributions. In 2000, she was named “Businessperson of the Year” by the Mediterranean Journalists Association. In 2001, she was awarded “Female Executive of the Year” by the newspaper Dünya. In 2006, she received the “Outstanding Service Award in Community Services” from the Çanakkale Rotary Club and the Çanakkale Industrialists and Businessmen Association for her contributions to the region. In 2007, she was voted “Businesswoman of the Year” in a public poll and was honored with the “Outstanding Service Award” by the Turkish Grand National Assembly for her selfless service to the country.

In 2015, the Turkish Association of University Women named her “Woman of the Year.” In 2016, the Women to Watch platform recognised her with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for her outstanding contributions to sustainable social responsibility projects. As one of Türkiye’s 50 most reputable business leaders globally, she recently received the “Positive Energy Award” at the Fortune 500 Awards for her contributions to business and society. In March 2019, she represented OPET’s vision on an international stage at UNESCO’s Paris headquarters, presenting Tevfikiye Village’s transformation into an “Archaeovillage” as part of the Year of Troy celebrations.

In 2022, Nurten Öztürk made history as the first Turkish recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the Stevie International Business Awards (IBA). She also received the “Woman of the Year” and “Executive of the Year in the Energy Sector” awards. Additionally, she was recognized as the “Social Change Maker of the Year” at the Stevie Women in Business Awards, “Visionary Woman Leader of the Year” at the Globee Awards Business Excellence Awards, and “Successful Female Role Model in Business” as well as “Woman of the Year (Europe, Middle East, and Africa)” at the Globee Awards Women World Awards.

In 2024, Nurten Öztürk was the only individual worldwide to receive the Gold Stevie® Award in the “Sustainability Hero of the Year” category at the Stevie International Business Awards for her exemplary sustainability projects and long-term vision. She also received the Silver Stevie® Award in the “Woman of the Year” category.

Today, OPET’s branded social awareness projects have received over 100,000 letters of appreciation and numerous awards from prestigious institutions in Turkey and international platforms such as IPRA, STEVIE, COMMUNITAS Awards, and Globee Awards.

Since September 2020, Nurten Öztürk has served as the President of the Women Entrepreneurs Council of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB). She continues her role as a Founding Board Member of OPET. In addition to her business endeavors, she has a keen interest in poetry and photography. She is the mother of two sons and a daughter.