About
My work focuses on developing technologies that make governance more transparent, participatory, and data-driven.
Initiatives
CDR — Founder & President (2019-now)
CDR is an independent, nonpartisan technology and research organization based in the U.S. and Türkiye. It works at the intersection of technology and public policy in emerging democracies, building open, privacy-first tools and capacity-building programs that make governance more transparent, participation more accessible, and decision-making more evidence-based. Through practical technology, applied research, and training, CDR supports citizens, civil society, businesses, and public-interest organizations.
Policyful — Founder & CEO (2025-now)
Policyful is CDR’s open-source, non-profit technology initiative focused on making public policy and regulatory intelligence more accessible, structured, and actionable in emerging democracies. It brings together fragmented legislation, regulatory updates, institutional decisions, and policy documents in a single AI-powered system, transforming complex and scattered public information into machine-readable data, practical insights, and real-time monitoring tools. By enabling organizations to track policy developments, identify trends and risks, and generate evidence for advocacy and strategic action, Policyful helps turn public policy complexity into informed, data-driven decision-making.
Experience, Fellowships & Awards
Stiftung Mercator — TEFF Fellow (2026)
Stiftung Mercator is a German foundation that supports democratic participation, European cooperation, and social transformation. I was selected as a fellow of its Türkiye Europe Future Forum (TEFF), which brings together emerging leaders from Türkiye and Europe for dialogue and exchange on the future of Turkish-European relations.
National Endowment for Democracy — Hurford Fellow (2023)
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is an independent, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world. As a Hurford Fellow at NED, I spent four months in Washington, DC, conducting a perception analysis on how MPs in Türkiye approach youth-related issues by examining parliamentary records. Also participated in and spoke at roundtables on Türkiye’s 2023 elections.
Oxford Centre for Technology and Development — Researcher (2021-2023)
OCTD is a University of Oxford spin-out specializing in research, consulting, and project management. As a researcher at OCTD, I contributed to international projects, including a Meta-funded study on digital citizenship in Türkiye, an EU-funded analysis of high-skilled labour migration to Türkiye, and a MARKA-funded feasibility study on establishing a Smart Agriculture R&D Centre.
JCI Türkiye — Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award (2021)
Selected by JCI Türkiye as one of the country’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the field of political, legal, and governmental affairs.
German Embassy — Sustainable Future Project Competition, 3rd Place (2020)
Education
Boğaziçi University — Bachelor of Arts, International Trade
Contact:
kadir@demokra.si & kadir@yagizcet.in
