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İlker brings more than 15 years of expertise in the defence sector to his role as Head of Business Information at Shephard Group. Before joining Shephard, he had a distinguished career as an officer in the Turkish Armed Forces.

His international experience includes missions in Iraq and Washington, DC, with assignments at the Pentagon and working closely with the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process.

He served as the Land Forces air defence liaison officer at the Combined Air Operations Centre in Turkey, commanded an air defence missile platoon, led an operational commando company and held active operational leadership roles in Iraq. İlker graduated as the top-ranking officer from the Turkish Air Defence School, highlighting his early aptitude and leadership.

He holds an MA in International Relations from the War Studies Department at King’s College London and a BSc in Systems Engineering from the Turkish Military Academy. With his extensive military background and strategic expertise, İlker leads Shephard’s Business Information division, providing tailored, transparent data solutions that empower clients in the defence industry to make informed decisions.