ABOUT US

EGERDER
Ege Geriatrics Association

The Ege Geriatrics Association was founded on March 10, 2008, under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Fehmi Akçiçek. Our association aims to support the healthy, successful, and active aging of elderly individuals; to increase their resilience, ensure their active participation in social life, strengthen intergenerational communication and social networks, and encourage them to contribute to the quality of life, well-being, and prosperity of elderly individuals by promoting their knowledge and experience in social life. We conduct solution-oriented studies to achieve this goal.

Our association operates with a rights-based, multi-dimensional, and holistic perspective; policy development for policymakers and implementers, and raising social awareness regarding active and healthy aging are among our objectives.

The areas of focus for our association include: Elderly Rights, Active and Healthy Aging, Age-Friendly Society and City, Lifelong Learning, Elderly Health and Chronic Diseases, Elder Neglect and Abuse, Exclusion, Social Inclusion, Home Health and Care, and Palliative Care. Our work has focused on elderly individuals, their relatives, caregivers, and policymakers and implementers.

Our association collaborates with Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, universities, the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services, Izmir Provincial Directorate of Health, district municipalities, and NGOs working in the field.

In this context, we partner with Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Karşıyaka, Balçova, Güzelbahçe, Seferihisar, Narlıdere, Urla, Buca, Bornova and Çeşme Municipalities through cooperation protocols signed for services and activities for elderly individuals. Our association is a member of the “Walking Towards the Same Goal” Group, which operates nationwide, and the Izmir City Council, and is among the founders of the Izmir City Council Healthy Aging and Elderly Policies Working Group. Within the framework of the cooperation agreement signed with Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, we are a member of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Advanced Age Science and Advisory Board and carry out joint projects.

Our Activities

Our association organizes Izmir Advanced Age Symposiums in cooperation with Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, with the participation of local governments, health and social service institutions, universities, NGOs, academics, and experts. The symposiums, which address the demands and problems of elderly individuals from a multifaceted perspective (architecture, health, social services, and social policy), feature sessions where current scientific studies are presented alongside local experiences and research, and include social programs with the participation of artists and writers such as Yıldız Kenter, Filiz Akın, Muzaffer İzgü, Cezmi Baskın, Nurhan Damcıoğlu, and Hale Soygazi, attracting considerable interest.

The İzmir Symposium on Advanced Age, first held in 2008, has addressed the challenges, needs, and expectations of older people through themes such as “A Broad Perspective on the Needs of a Growing Older Population,” “An Age-Friendly City: İzmir,” “Vulnerable Older Adults,” “Living with an Aging Body,” “Life at Home in Old Age,” “Active Aging,” “Palliative Care,” “Forensic, Social, and Medical Emergencies,” and “Aging with Joy.” The symposium has also contributed to the development of local and national policies and action plans.

In 2017, the symposium gained an international dimension, exploring themes such as “Social Life and Care in Old Age,” “Social Exclusion and Aging,” “Engaged in Life,” and “Age-Friendly İzmir.” In 2026, the 5th International and 14th National İzmir Symposium on Advanced Age was held under the theme “Disasters and Emergency Situations.”

Other social and scientific events organized in partnership with the Aegean Geriatrics Association include the 1st International İzmir Joyful Aging Fair and Congress, held in 2017 under the theme “I’m Feeling Great,” and the 2nd International İzmir Joyful Aging Fair and Congress, held in 2019. The association has also been involved in events such as the PAL Expocare Elderly Care and Healthy Aging Fair and the PAN Geriatrics Symposium, held in February 2026.

Additional events organized or supported by the association include “Pharmacotherapy for Chronic Diseases in Advanced Age”; the 2020 International Symposium on the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Older Adults’ Health; the Symposium on Digital Equity in Advanced Age; the Symposium on Active Aging and Urban Life; the Workshop on Palliative Care at Home and in Hospitals; the Hospice Workshop; the Medical Will (Living Will) Workshop; the Workshop on Age-Friendly Healthcare Institutions; the Workshop on Accessible Housing and Living Spaces for Independent Living; and the “Aging at Home” Spring Workshop.

Scientific initiatives in which the association has participated as a partner include the “Local Governments and Policies for Older People” Workshop, the “Rights of Older People and Social Inclusion” Workshop, the Workshop on Indicators for the Action Plan on Advanced Age, the “Elderly Care Systems” Workshop, and the “Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Old Age” Workshop. In 2026, the İzmir Third Age Universities (U3A İzmir) Workshop was also held.

The İzmir Third Age Universities Festival, which brought together Third Age Universities serving older adults across İzmir and showcased their students’ activities, took place on May 7–8, 2026. The festival was organized in partnership with the İzmir Third Age Universities, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, and the Aegean Geriatrics Association.

The Elderly-Friendly Healthcare Institutions Project, İzmir Provincial Health Directorate Palyat İzmir Project, Active Aging with Smart Systems Project (İZKA 2017), “I Am Elderly-Friendly Project”, awareness training projects, #weareathome (conducted during the Coronavirus pandemic), and EQUIP II (European Education, Competences and Qualifications in Home Care for Older People II) are projects that the association has conducted or is a stakeholder in.

The Aegean Geriatrics Association collaborates with the Department of Geriatrics at Ege University Faculty of Medicine to support individuals aged 60 and over in achieving healthy, successful, and active aging, in line with the United Nations’ goals for active and healthy aging and the principle of lifelong learning. This collaboration includes the Third Age University (UA3) program, designed for individuals aged 60 and over.

Launched in 2016 by the Department of Geriatrics at Ege University Faculty of Medicine as a social responsibility project, with contributions from our association, the Aegean Third Age University has continued to expand. It now encompasses the Third Age University programs established within Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and the municipalities of Karşıyaka, Balçova, Güzelbahçe, Seferihisar, Narlıdere, Urla, Bornova, Buca, and Çeşme. Each of these municipalities has signed a formal cooperation protocol with our association.

The number of Third Age University (UA3) programs, where courses are taught by volunteer academics and experts, continues to grow as more people apply and participate. As of October 2026, approximately 1,200 students aged 60 and over in Izmir are enrolled in a two-year educational program that includes six theoretical classes and at least one practical session per week.

Furthermore, our association prepares and disseminates public information materials, including handbooks, press releases, and brochures, on topics such as the rights of older people, geriatric health, policies concerning older adults, and healthy aging.

Ege Geriatrics Association

Address: İnönü Cd. No:342 / C Hatay – İzmir
Email: egegeriatridernegi@gmail.com
Instagram /egegeriatridernegi
Facebook / Ege Geriatri Derneği
Mevlüt Ülgen: 0 505 910 64 43

Ege Geriatrics Association Board of Directors

Honorary President: Prof. Dr. Fehmi Akçiçek
President: Psychologist Mevlüt Ülgen
Vice President: Dr. Nurgül Kocakoç ( PhD )
Secretary: Osman Nuri Tartılacı
Treasurer: Shu, Aysun İnan
Board Member: Prof. Dr. Sevnaz Şahin
Board Member: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Altın
Board Member: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gönül Düzgün

Ege Geriatrics Association Board of Founding Directors

President: Prof. Fehmi Akçiçek MD
VicePresident: Asst. Prof. Orhan Gazi Yiğitbaşı MD
VicePresident: Türkegül Kocaoğlu MD
VicePresident: İsmail Yılmaz
Secretary: Mevlüt Ülgen PSY
Treasurer: Sevnaz Şahin MD
Member: Sibel Eyigör MD

Ege Geriatrics Association Founders:

Fehmi Akçiçek MD (FacultyMember)
Orhan Gazi Yiğitbaşı MD (ChiefDoctor)
Sevnaz Şahin MD (FacultyMember)
Mevlüt Ülgen PSY
Seher Dere (SocialWorker)
Gökhan Keser MD (FacultyMember)
Filiz Özerkan MD (FacultyMember)
Aydın Bıçakçı DDS (FacultyMember)
Sibel Eyigör MD (FacultyMember)
R.Bilgin Özmen MD (FacultyMember)
Ayfer KaradokovanPhD (FacultyMember)
Çiçek FadıloğluPhD (FacultyMember)
Oktay Bilgin MD
Tuğrul Dereli MD (FacultyMember)
Mert Özbakkaloğlu MD
Leyla Aslan MD
Türkegül Kocaoğlu MD
Aysel Gürsoy MD
Berrin Durmaz MD (FacultyMember)
Sibel Eyigör MD (FacultyMember)
Emre Kumral MD (FacultyMember)
İsmail Yılmaz (Retired City CousilMember)
Murat H. Akyurt MD
Muhterem Ağababaoğlu (Retired City CousilMember)
Ş. Alper Aygen MD
Sezgi S. Kayıkçıoğlu MD (FacultyMember)
Mehmeh Akif Yalçın MD (FacultyMember)
Hatice Şahin MD (FacultyMember)
Zeynep Akışın