Esma Dilek was born in Denizli in 1981. She earned her bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Yıldız Technical University in 2003. After working as a Software Engineer in the private sector for approximately 1.5 years, she joined the Traffic Directorate of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) as a Computer Engineer in 2006.
In 2008, through a local government-funded overseas study initiative by IMM, she had the opportunity to pursue a master's degree in the United States. She completed her Master of Science in Computer Science at Boston University in 2010, earning a "Certificate in Academic Excellence," and subsequently resumed her role at IMM’s Traffic Directorate as a Software Development Specialist.
Until her appointment as Deputy Traffic Director in April 2015, she played a key role in numerous projects as an application developer for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) across desktop, internet, and mobile platforms at the Traffic Control Center, a division of IMM’s Traffic Directorate. As Deputy Traffic Director, she oversaw both the technical and administrative management of ITS components and software utilized by IMM, all of which were operated from the Traffic Control Center. Throughout her tenure at the Traffic Directorate, she also served as Project Manager for various international projects under IMM’s Transportation Department.
Among her significant contributions, she led IMM’s participation in the VITAL and R4E (Roadmaps for Energy) projects, securing grants under the 7th Framework Programme and Horizon 2020 of the European Union, thereby enhancing IMM’s access to EU funding opportunities.
Ms. Dilek has authored multiple research papers on Intelligent Transportation Systems and the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects on Istanbul’s transportation network. Her work has been presented and published in esteemed international congresses.
Between August 2018 and April 2020, she served as IMM’s Information Technologies Manager and Smart City Manager. Since April 2020, she has been the Deputy Director General of Communications at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. Additionally, she has been volunteering as the President of ITS Türkiye since April 2021. She is fluent in English.
Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Information Security Engineering at Gazi University. Her research focuses on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), computer vision, deep learning, and information security. She has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences on these subjects.
