Murat Kurum is the Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change of Turkey. Born on May 7, 1976, in Çankaya, Ankara, Kurum completed his early education in Ankara and Mardin before graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering in Konya. He later earned a master’s degree in Urban Transformation.
From 1999 to 2005, Kurum worked on numerous construction projects across Turkey. He joined the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) in 2005, where he served as an expert and later held various positions. In 2009, he was appointed General Manager of Emlak Konut REIT Inc., during which the two largest public offerings in Turkish history were executed.
In 2018, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Kurum as the Minister of Environment and Urbanization in the first cabinet of the Presidential Government System. During his tenure, he has focused on urban resilience, social housing projects, national gardens, and environmental sustainability. He has also been instrumental in disaster recovery efforts and promoting the Zero Waste initiative, launched under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan.