Aslıhan is a media and communications professional with extensive experience in women leadership, belonging, international politics, freedom and human rights, global public relations & public diplomacy.
She is part of GERIS Network (Global Exchange on Religion in Society), which is a EU-funded project that contributes to the global conversation on diversity, coexistence and social inclusion.
Aslıhan was also a hybrid fellow at The Center for Women, Faith & Leadership (CWFL) under the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) that supports and equips women of faith to assume and advance in leadership roles and influence decision making in global affairs, with a particular emphasis in areas where women are most affected yet have had the least influence – religious freedom, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.
Previously, she helped launch Turkiye’s first English-language international news platform, TRT World in 2015. She has taken on various operational and managerial roles within the network during her 7 years with the company. In her last 2 years at TRT, she established and run the Eyes on Discrimination (EOD) Centre, which monitors and reports on offences, hate crimes and discrimination on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin and religion, or other related social categories, as well as promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.
Before TRT World, Aslıhan served both at Turkish and Malaysian diplomatic missions in Kuala Lumpur and Ankara acting as a bridge between the two countries to ensure communication and cooperation.
Her educational background includes a B.A. in Organizational Communication (2005) and a M.A. in Media from the Department of Communication (2010), IIUM in Malaysia. She received her Ph.D. in Public Relations, Faculty of Communication from the Marmara University, where she concentrated in public diplomacy.
In her free time, Aslihan is committed to education and non-profit work. She is fluent in English (and speaks a little Arabic, Malay and Mandarin Chinese).