Speakers

Dr. Hakan Kahraman

Country Manager, Türkiye

DMT GRUP

Topic: Maden Projesinin Gerçekleşmesine Dek Maden Arama Etkinliklerinde Uluslararası Standartlara ve En İyi Uygulamalara Uymanın Önemi

Dr. Hakan Arden Kahraman specialises in technical due diligence (TDD) for mining and industrial projects, investor reporting, and independent engineering services for lending institutions. In this capacity he advises international financial institutions and investors on the feasibility, risk and technical soundness of mining projects. He currently serves as Technical Manager at DMT Group Türkiye, where he works on independent engineering, project evaluation and investment verification for mining and infrastructure projects. He is a graduate of the Geological Engineering programme at Istanbul Technical University (ITU).

Edmund Sides

Chairperson

CRIRSCO

Topic: The role of the international CRIRSCO-aligned codes in mineral project governance and financing

Sodhie Naicker

Managing Director

DMT-S Africa

Topic: GİZLİ BİR KITADAN SAHA NOTLARI. AFRİKA'DA KRİTİK VE STRATEJİK MİNERALLERİN ARAŞTIRILMASI

Sodhiesiven (Sodhie) B. Naicker is a geoscientist and senior mining executive with more than 30 years of experience across the full mining value chain in Africa and international markets. He is a founding partner and Managing Director of DMT Kai Batla. He is recognised for providing technical and strategic advisory services in exploration, mining operations, project evaluation and technical due diligence, mining economics and policy development. During his senior tenure at Mintek he led mining economics and strategy work, contributed to national and commodity-based planning, and strengthened public-industry collaboration. He subsequently transformed DMT Kai Batla from a geological consultancy into a multidisciplinary advisory firm operating across Sub-Saharan Africa. He also serves as an independent board member of DMT United Kingdom and as AusIMM's International Representative for Southern Africa.

Stephan Pueschel is Co-Head of the Metals and Mining team at KfW IPEX-Bank, focusing on financing the full value chain from mining and processing to metal production and recycling. He has worked across various departments within the KfW Group for more than 20 years, gaining extensive experience in international project finance and asset-based financing.

Maria Alejandra Delgado

Legal, External Affairs and Sustainability Expert

Bağımsız Danışman

Topic: Peru’dan Dersler: Maden Aramasının Değerini Ortaya Çıkarma

A mining executive with extensive national and international experience in Lima, London, Florida and across Latin America. A qualified lawyer, she specialises in general and project management, legal and compliance advisory, communications, corporate governance, external and public relations, inclusion and diversity, corporate affairs and sustainability.

Exploration Geophysicist with 10 years of experience in mineral exploration, specializing in the acquisition, processing, interpretation, and integration of geophysical and geological data across a wide range of geological environments. Currently working as Geophysicist within B2Gold’s Corporate Geoscience Team, providing geophysical support to global exploration programs and contributing to the evaluation and advancement of exploration projects worldwide. A highly experienced and well-traveled geophysicist, he has extensive expertise in processing and interpreting geophysical datasets at scales ranging from target-scale to regional and continental-scale. His experience includes project evaluation, target generation, geophysical survey design, data integration, and the application of advanced geophysical techniques to support mineral discovery and resource development.

Topic: An Integrated Critical Mineral Company

Alliester is an analytical, results-focused executive with a strong technical background, honed through over 15 years experience in operating (88 Energy), service (SLB) and academic (CSIRO) roles. he has has extensive multi-disciplinary knowledge and immense operational/well-site experience in his former role as Exploration Manager for 88 Energy where he was present for the drilling & logging of 4 exploration wells in Alaska, 2 of which were discovery wells. Allister has built a broad base of technical and commercial experience across the energy and resources sector. This has included leading corporate development initiatives, engaging with investors and stakeholders, and guiding projects from exploration through to strategy and growth planning.

Topic: Unlocking ECA Financing for Mining Projects: Opportunities, Structures, and Solutions

Çağrı Güven serves as Vice President at KfW IPEX-Bank, a financial institution within the KfW Group specializing in international project and export finance. The KfW Group is the development bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and one of the world’s leading development banks. Based in Istanbul, Çağrı is responsible for business development, origination, structuring, and execution of project and export financing transactions, with a particular focus on the energy, metals and mining, industrial, and financial institutions sectors in Türkiye. He also serves as a Board Member, Treasurer, and Vice President responsible for Financial Institutions at the Turkish Wind Energy Association (TÜREB). He has approximately 18 years of experience in the banking and finance sector, primarily in project finance, acquisition finance, and structured finance. Prior to joining KfW IPEX-Bank, Çağrı worked at Garanti BBVA for approximately 14 years, holding various positions in Project and Acquisition Finance and ultimately leading the Energy Finance team. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Middle East Technical University (METU) and an Executive MBA from Sabancı University.

Marco COSI (MC) - AlpiConsult Stones, is a more than 40 years experience, Italian International Individual Exploration-Mining-Marketing-Developing Geologist Consultant and Competent Person, mainly operating in the Mining Sector for exploration, evaluation, project management and planning, opportunity, pre-feasibility and market analyses and for PSD and Institutional Capacity Building projects, too, in particular in Construction Materials (CM), Industrial Minerals (IM), Dimension Stones(DS), lithium and Uranium and other Metals sub-sectors. During his consulting career, mostly developed in African, Middle East, Far East developing and in transition countries, China, Canada and EU countries, among others, he also participates to Institutional Capacity Building Programmes (also supporting the local Ministries and EU Delegations) for the Design and the implementation of exploration and evaluation programs for private and/or state-owned Ministries and geological surveys, and sectoral associations.

Michael Zlobin serves as the Associate Director and Equity Portfolio Manager for Natural Resources at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), based in London. Michael is responsible for commercial execution and overseeing the portfolio of the Bank's equity investments within the mining sector and has played a key role in various transactions, particularly in the critical raw materials space. For more than three decades, EBRD has been actively involved in financing mining projects using a diverse array of financial instruments, ranging from senior debt to equity. Recognizing the industry-wide funding gap, especially for junior mining companies, the Bank has decided to increase its engagement in equity and quasi-equity financing during the early development stages via a dedicated Junior Miners Programme (JUMP). EBRD finances projects in Europe, Central Asia, North Africa (see the full list of eligible countries https://www.ebrd.com/where-we-are.html) and from 2025 is expanding to the Sub-Saharan region (Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal). Please get in touch if you are interested to discuss financing for a project that has reported a maiden resource (as a minimum).

Dr.Yusuf Ziya Özkan

Geological Engineer

DAMA MÜHENDİSLİK

Topic: Investment Decisions Under Uncertainty in Mineral Exploration Economics

Yusuf Ziya ÖZKAN specializes in mineral exploration, mineral exploration economics, mineral resource estimation, geological modelling, and decision analysis in mining. His research focuses on the economic evaluation of early-stage mineral exploration projects, uncertainty and risk analysis, Expected Monetary Value (EMV), Value of Information (VOI), Bayesian decision analysis, and the integration of geological confidence into economic decision-making. He is also actively engaged in technical studies related to mineral resource estimation, geostatistics, and international mineral reporting standards, including CRIRSCO, UMREK, JORC, and NI 43-101. His current research and writing focus on developing integrated approaches that combine information economics, geological confidence, and investment decision analysis within the field of mineral exploration economics.

Topic: A Mineral Systems Approach to Exploring Deep-Seated Ore Deposits in Türkiye: The Need for a Paradigm Shift

Prof. Dr. İlkay Kuşcu is a geological engineer specialising in ore deposits and economic geology. He served for many years as a faculty member in the Department of Mineral Deposits at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University's Department of Geological Engineering, and also held the position of Dean. His research focuses on porphyry copper deposits, exploration geology, hydrothermal alteration and the metallogeny of Türkiye.

Topic: The Last 20 Years in Mining Geophysics: Next-Generation Exploration Technologies from Airborne to Subsurface

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Candansayar is a faculty member in the Department of Geophysical Engineering at Ankara University. He has more than 30 years of experience in education, research, and academic administration. His main areas of expertise include engineering geophysics; exploration geophysics (geothermal, mineral, and petroleum); urban geophysics; archaeological geophysics; electrical and electromagnetic methods; two- and three-dimensional modelling and inversion; hydrogeophysics; and the development of geophysical modelling and inversion software. Prof. Dr. Candansayar has authored more than 90 scientific publications, which have received over 1,100 citations. He has supervised numerous MSc and PhD theses and has led more than 20 scientific research projects. He has also served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Head of the Department of Geophysical Engineering at Ankara University.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet ŞENER

Geological Engineer

JKB Ar-Ge Niğde Teknopark

Topic: Social Geology for Sustainable Mining

Prof. Dr. Şener graduated from the Department of Geological Engineering (Mining Division) at Hacettepe University in 1979. He received his M.Sc. degree from the same university in 1981 and completed his Ph.D. in 1992. Between 1979 and 2006, he served at the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), Department of Energy Raw Materials Survey and Exploration, where he worked as a Geological Engineer, Project Manager, and Coordinator of the Core Information Bank. From 2006 to 2025, he held various academic and administrative positions at Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, including Associate Professor, Professor, Head of Department, Director of the Vocational School, Dean, and Vice Rector. Following his retirement in 2025, he has continued to contribute to innovation and technology development as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Niğde Technopark.

Topic: Critical Raw Materials — Geological Discoveries, Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Minerals Required for Green Energy (Lithium, Cobalt, REE, Copper)

He completed his undergraduate and master's degrees at Ankara University's Department of Geological Engineering, and his PhD in 2016 at the Department of Geological Engineering of Middle East Technical University (METU). His research focuses on the geological formation environments of Rare Earth Elements (REE). Between 2019 and 2023 he served as founding director of Munzur University's Rare Earth Elements Application and Research Centre (MUNTEAM).

Dr. İbrahim Kürşat Tuna

International Relations Expert

SÜTUN ENERJİ

Topic: The Geopolitics of Critical Minerals in the Context of International Relations and Its Impact on Mineral Exploration

A graduate of the Department of International Relations at Ankara University's Faculty of Political Science, he has conducted research on the impact of critical minerals on national and international security and received his doctorate in 2024. He currently serves as a member of the TOBB Mining Sector Assembly.

Topic: Building Social Consent and Social Acceptance During the Exploration Phase, and Its Dynamics

Yıldız has more than 25 years of experience as a sociologist in social, industrial and organisational practice, development and management within the mining, energy and construction sectors. He has held management positions at the Republic of Türkiye Prime Ministry's GAP Administration, Flokser Holding, Tepe İnşaat and Çayeli Bakır İşletmeleri.

Topic: First Encounter, First Impression, First Risk: The Importance of Social Acceptance During the Exploration Stage

Özkan is a researcher and consultant specialising in social anthropology. He has worked on field research, social impact assessment, stakeholder engagement and community relations for energy, mining, infrastructure and social development projects.

Topic: Legal Processes for the Management of Cultural Heritage in Mineral Exploration and Shortcomings Encountered in Practice

Dr. Haydar Uğur Dağ is a graduate of the Department of Archaeology at Hacettepe University and completed his doctorate on archaeological heritage impact assessment studies. Halim Özatay has worked for more than 25 years at REGİO as a specialist in archaeological surface surveys and cultural heritage management. Both are among the founders of REGİO Cultural Heritage Management Consultancy.

Topic: The Role of Geophysics in Mineral Exploration and Next-Generation Technologies

He has been active in metallic mineral exploration for more than 18 years. Throughout his career he has worked on numerous exploration projects in Türkiye, North America, the Balkans, Asia and Africa, taking responsibility for field operations, geophysical surveys and project management.

Tuna Kaskatı

Geological Engineer – Exploration Director

ESAN

Topic: From Data to Knowledge, From Knowledge to Discovery: Exploration and Development of Mineral Deposits through the Integration of Advanced Technologies and Geological Expertise

Tuna Kaskatı graduated from the Department of Geological Engineering at Middle East Technical University (METU) and completed his MSc in Coastal Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU). He has more than 20 years of international experience in mineral exploration, resource development, mineral processing, and R&D. Throughout his career, he has been involved in managing numerous exploration and resource development projects targeting base and precious metals, critical minerals, and industrial raw materials across Türkiye, Europe, and Central Asia. He currently serves as Exploration Director at Esan, where he leads an integrated R&D organization covering mineral exploration, mineral processing, advanced materials development, and analytical laboratory activities. His areas of expertise include mineral exploration strategies, resource development, new mineral discoveries, critical raw materials, and the transformation of mineral resources into value-added products. He also specializes in the integration of artificial intelligence, GIS-based targeting, orebody knowledge, 3D geological modelling, and other cutting-edge technologies into mineral exploration activities.

Topic: The Role of Laboratories in the Mining Cycle and Integrated Quality Control Practices

Abdullah Buhur was one of the founding partners of ARGETEST in 2012 and has many years of experience in analytical and laboratory services for the mining sector. He continues to manage laboratories he has established in Türkiye and abroad.

Topic: Geological Facts and Ethics in Core Drilling for Mineral Exploration

Ekrem Uslu graduated from the Department of Geological Engineering at Sivas Cumhuriyet University in 2009 and obtained his Occupational Health and Safety Specialist qualification in 2016. He completed his Master’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety in 2021. Since beginning his career in core drilling for mineral exploration in 2010, he has worked for leading companies in the sector, serving as Site Manager, Regional Coordinator, and Domestic Operations Manager. Since 2024, he has continued his professional career as a Partner and Business Development Manager at Vitriol Drilling, working on both domestic and international projects.

Topic: The Legal Nature of Exploration Activities in the Public and Private Sectors — A Public Function or a Commercial Activity?

He began his career at ETİKROM A.Ş. and went on to work in the ore-processing unit of the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) and as an engineer, division manager and department head at the General Directorate of Mining Affairs. He is a UMREK Competent Person.

Topic: Exclusion of Mineral Exploration Activities from the Scope of R&D

With more than 40 years of professional experience spanning mining engineering and law, Ömer Günay is currently based in Ankara, where he provides legal services in the fields of mining law, energy law, environmental law, and administrative law. Combining his extensive technical expertise gained through field experience with legal representation, he provides end-to-end consultancy to investors and institutions operating in the natural resources sector.

Topic: Permitting Processes and Disputes During the Exploration Period

He holds an undergraduate degree in Law and International Relations. He has served as Legal Counsel for a group of companies operating in the mining sector for approximately twelve years, and is a participant in the World Association of Mining Lawyers.

Cem Boz is a lawyer and academic with more than 18 years of international experience in Mining and Natural Resources Law and International Trade Law. He is a former lecturer at Istanbul Technical University's Faculty of Mines and serves as a member of the GEMAD Board of Directors.

Attorney and Mediator Esra Şimşek Aydın has more than 22 years of professional experience in both the public and private sectors, with particular expertise in Mining Law and Energy Law. During her legal career, she served for many years at the General Directorate of Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKİ), where she played an active role in mining-related contract management, public procurement procedures, expropriation processes, and legislative drafting. She also contributed to the preparation of primary and secondary legislation before the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) and various public institutions, participating in the development of the legal framework governing the mining and energy sectors. She later served as Chief Legal Counsel at Çelikler Holding, where she was responsible for the preparation and negotiation of national and international contracts related to mining and energy projects. She is currently a founding partner of Şimşek & Aydın Mediation and Law Firm, where she specializes in mining and mining law, contract law, arbitration, and commercial dispute resolution. She also serves as a Board Member of the Energy Law Committee of the Ankara Bar Association.