Hayrettin UÇAK
Hayrettin UÇAK
Chairman of the Turkish Fruit and Vegetable Products Exporters' Sector Board
Vice Chairman of the Board, Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association
TİM Audit Board Member
Hayrettin Uçak, Member of the Supervisory Board of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), was born in Siirt in 1963.
Having devoted his entire professional life to the fruit and vegetable trade, Hayrettin Uçak currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Uçak Kardeşler Group of Companies, based in İzmir. He is married, has two children and six grandchildren, and earned his degree in Business Administration and Economics through distance education from Atlantic International University.
His business journey began in childhood, working alongside his father as a mobile vendor in Van. In 1974, he started operating rented stalls in neighborhood markets in Istanbul. By 1976, together with his brothers, he had established their own stalls in five different marketplaces across Istanbul.
In 1979, after purchasing his first truck, he adopted the principle, "Wherever the highest-quality fruits and vegetables are, that is where I will go." Between 1979 and 1984, he travelled across Türkiye in search of the finest produce, sourcing premium fruits and vegetables directly from growers and supplying them to wholesale and retail markets.
In 1985, he took his first step into the wholesale business at Topkapı Wholesale Market in Istanbul. The same year, he moved to Seferihisar, İzmir, following the production of Satsuma mandarins.
In 1987, the company entered a new phase of growth with branded Uçak Kardeşler trucks and packaging. In 1990, the company established its first citrus processing facility in Seferihisar. Processing facilities in Alaşehir, Mersin, and Isparta followed in subsequent years, enabling the company to expand its production network across different regions of Türkiye and become one of the country's leading agricultural producers and exporters.
Throughout his career, Uçak has played an active role in expanding Türkiye's fruit and vegetable exports and opening new international markets. In 2010, his company was recognized as the leading exporter in the Aegean Region. In 2017, he received Türkiye's Top Exporter Award in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable sector and has maintained the industry's export leadership for nine consecutive years. In 2018, he was honored by the President of the Republic of Türkiye with the Employment Award in recognition of his contribution to job creation. Throughout his career, he has remained a strong advocate for Turkish farmers and agricultural producers.
Between 2006 and 2014, he served as a Member of the Board of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association. From 2014 to 2018, he served as a Member of the Board of the Istanbul Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association.
He was elected Chairman of the Board of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association for two consecutive terms, serving from 2018 to 2026. During the 2022–2026 term, he also served as Vice Coordinator Chairman of the Aegean Exporters' Associations.
Since 2020, he has been a Member of the Board of Directors of the Dikili Specialized Organized Industrial Zone for Agriculture-Based Industries.
Following the General Assembly held in April 2026, Hayrettin Uçak was elected Vice Chairman of the Board of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association. On May 20, 2026, he was elected Chairman of the Turkish Fruit and Vegetable Products Exporters' Sector Board.
At the 33rd Ordinary General Assembly of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), held on June 26, 2026, he was elected as a Member of the Supervisory Board of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM).