I had the privilege of serving as the chief photographer for the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, from 2012 to 2016. During this time, I documented his daily activities at the office, abroad, and in his personal life. I also led a team of thirteen people, organizing all visual documentation of the Presidency, which was distributed to government offices, the press, and other institutions.

After graduating from the Journalism Department of Ege University in Turkey in 2000, I worked on news portfolios and photo-interviews for various media institutions, newspapers, and magazines from 2001 to 2006. During this period, I covered significant events in the Middle East, including the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the civil war in Sudan, and the devastating earthquake in Pakistan in 2005.

In 2006, I moved to New York to further my career in the USA. I covered the 2008 American elections, which led to Barack Obama becoming the first African-American President. I was also among the few Turkish photojournalists allowed into Guantanamo prison, the center of international controversy for detaining individuals through military commissions. In 2010, I was selected by the New York Press Association for a 10-month journalism program focused on the American education system, during which I wrote numerous articles and prepared radio news pieces on the subject. In 2011, I participated in the International Journalism Exchange Program, working for the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung for two months.

After Gül’s term ended in 2014, I began working on a book project. Following a year of preparation and editing, the first-ever presidency book in Turkey, titled "A Protocol - 990 Days with the President," was published. From 2014 to 2016, in addition to managing the visual content of the 11th Presidency, I served as the press advisor to President Gül. I also worked as a curator for the Abdullah Gül Museum and Library, the first presidency museum in Turkey.

Mehmet Demirci is board member Eyes on Main Street Photo Festival in Wilso, NC