Dr. Ersin Arıoğlu, a visionary Civil Engineer and Chairman of Yapı Merkezi Holding, was born in Istanbul in 1940. He graduated from Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Civil Engineering in 1963 as a Civil Engineer. Until 1969, he continued his academic life as a lecturer and research assistant in the Civil Engineering Department of the same university.
Arıoğlu founded Yapı Merkezi İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş. (Yapı Merkezi Construction and Industry Inc.) in Istanbul in 1965. He was the chairman of this company from 1969 until November 2002. In November 2002, he was elected as a deputy from the Republican People’s Party to the Turkish Grand National Assembly representing the citizens of Istanbul. Between 2007 and 2023 he was again the Chairman of Yapı Merkezi Holding A.Ş.
As the Chairman, Arıoğlu managed 12 companies, 10 national and 2 international, active in the fields of research and development, engineering, design and consultancy, general construction contracting, education, and industry. Yapı Merkezi Construction Company as the parent company of the group, has been working as a consultant/designer and construction contractor in Türkiye and abroad. The Company realized projects ranging from industrial facilities, mass housing, production facilities and factories, commercial buildings, tunnels, bridges, transportation systems, railways, highways to energy facilities, water supply structures. Yapı Merkezi under the leadership of Dr. Arıoğlu realized more than 42 million square meters of construction, ranging from restoration and reinforcement of historical buildings to buildings for various services.
Arıoğlu’s fields of expertise includedcivil engineering, concrete technologies, construction methods, transportation systems and structures, earthquake engineering, repair and reinforcement of structures. His management expertise was in the fields of project development, financing, investment, and implementation in projects, and added value creation in civil engineering. He was the leading force behind Türkiye's ambitious civil engineering landmark projects such as Eurasia Tunnel and 1915Çanakkale Bridge. Being a milestone in world tunneling Eurasia Tunnel is a road tunnel passing under the Istanbul Bosphorus Strait that was the most challenging tunnel project in the world due to the high water pressure under the sea, complex geology, and high seismicity of Istanbul. The 1915Çanakkale Bridge was completed on 18th March 2022 and became the world’s longest span (2023 m) suspension bridge. The retrofitting of the Galata Tower which was his first project is an important feature on the skyline of Istanbul.
Arıoğlu authored more than 80 articles published in various domestic and international technical journals, an important part of which is on concrete technologies, earthquake engineering, transportation systems and construction methods, quality management, science centers, education, and knowledge processing techniques. He is also the author of a book on structural dynamics. He also edited two industry catalogs and several symposia books. He organized and coordinated various congresses, symposiums, panels, and conferences in the country and internationally (for technical and business circles); served as a member of the committees responsible for these activities or as a technical or administrative chairman.
Arıoğlu was recognized with medals and special certificates for his contributions in various fields and was awarded two Honorary Doctorate Degrees. In 1997 he was awarded the degree of Ph.D. (Hon. Causa) by the Faculty of Engineering of the Marmara University for his scientific contributions to the development of quality in civil engineering and his leadership in the promotion of the concept of scientific centers in Türkiye. In 2018, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) for his leading role in the development of Türkiye's construction industry and transportation systems and for representing İTÜ and Türkiye in the international arena with prestige.
He was the president of the Istanbul Science Center Foundation between 1995-2002. He was appointed as the Istanbul Honorary Consul of the Republic of Slovenia in 1996. He served on the Board of the International Crisis Group, a multinational NGO advocating solutions to conflicts around the world that result in human suffering, between 1997-2008. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Acıbadem University between 2008-2012. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Beyaz Nokta Gelişim (White Point Development) Foundation between 2008-2023. Arıoğlu was a member of the Advisory Board of the Turkish Contractors Association and the Chairman of the Ethics Committee for more than ten years. He was an esteemed philanthropist and a veteran businessperson.
Arıoğlu was awarded the most prestigious “Silver Honorary Order of the Republic of Slovenia” by the President of Slovenia in 2004, in recognition of his valuable services to the development of economic cooperation between Slovenia and Türkiye.
He received the “Dr. Rüştü Yüce - Professional Achievement Award” from the Middle East Technical University Education Foundation and “Certificate of Honor” from the UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics) the International Association of Public Transport and the "Successful Prefabricated Building of the Year" award from the Turkish Prefabricated Association. He was awarded with the “Sudan State Decoration” for leading the construction of two important bridges built on the Nile River in Sudan. In March 2022, Arıoğlu was selected among the "TOP 25 Newsmakers", among people who make a difference in construction and who develop communities by ENR “Engineering News-Record”. Dating back 150 years, ENR has been documenting the development of civilization by focusing on engineering and construction in the US and the World. He was awarded with "Outstanding Achievement in the Profession" by the Bridge and Construction Society of Türkiye, in August 2022.
Arıoğlu’s life story was published in a book named “Mühendis” (meaning “The Engineer”) in 2014. His biography appears in Who is Who in the World 1981, 1983, 1997; Men of Achievement, 1984 International Book of Honor 1985. It is also available in Who is Who in Türkiye in 1987, 1992, and 1998.
He founded Irmak Schools in partnership with the YWCA-Türkiye foundation in 1994 focusing on preK-12 education where his vision was to create an education system where each child is fostered to develop to their potential by identifying and developing their particular strengths. Irmak Schools’ alumni cohort has more than 1.600 members.
Dr. Arıoğlu was married to civil engineer Atiye Ülkü (Uluğ) Arıoğlu and had four children and nine grandchildren. He was a dedicated husband, a loving father, and “the most fun grandfather of the world” in the words of his grandchildren.