- 1999: "Top Businessman of the Year" award by the Turkish National Productivity Centre in Ankara, Türkiye
- 2002: award for the "Advancement of Education in Türkiye" by the Association of Turkish-American Scientists in Washington, D.C.
- 2003: "Turkish-American of the Year" by the Turkish American Association of Southern California.
- 2004: Ellis Island Medal of Honor in the USA.
- 2005: Financial Times fDi Middle East Personality of the Year award. 2004: Ellis Island Medal of Honor in the USA.
- 2007: the Aegean Free Zone was one of seven industrial parks in the world to receive the “Best Development Zone for Investment by Chinese Enterprises” award by the Chinese Government and the United Nations.
- 2009: The Certificate of Recognition by the American Business Forum in Türkiye (ABFT) for the contribution and commitment to the success of American Business in Türkiye.
- 2010: The 2009 “Cavaliere Della Repubblica Italian Award,” one of the five orders of knighthood bestowed by the President of Italy in recognition of service to the Italian Republic for the opportunity the Aegean Free Zone has provided to Italian factories operating there.
Global Friendship Through Space Education Founders
KAYA TUNCER
Mr. Kaya Tuncer, founder of Aegean Free Zone Development & Operating Co. (ESBAS), Space Camp Türkiye and Global Friendship Through Space Education Foundation passed away on January 7, 2012.
Mr. Tuncer was a very successful Turkish-American entrepreneur, mega-builder and philanthropist. He established ESBAS in 1990 to develop and manage the Aegean Free Zone, Türkiye’s leading industrial park. The Aegean Free Zone is located on 2.2 million m² (550 acres) in Gaziemir, Izmir. The Zone is 4 km from the Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport, 12 km from the Port of Izmir and 1 km from major highways.
Today there are 193 companies in the Aegean Free Zone, 101 domestic and 74 internationals. Total trade volume generated in 2022 was $5.3 billion USD, and the overall trade volume generated since the establishment of the Zone is $92 billion USD. One-third of all investment in the 19 free zones in Türkiye is at the Aegean Free Zone.
Mr. Tuncer was also the founder of Space Camp Türkiye, one of only two space camps in the world, which opened in 2000. In 2002, he created GFTSE (Global Friendship Through Space Education), which is dedicated to promoting friendship among young people from different countries and cultures through the study of space-related science and technology. Through his generous contributions, Mr. Tuncer enabled kids from around the world to attend Space Camp Türkiye on scholarships. During his career, Mr. Tuncer worked with major construction, architectural, and engineering companies including Bechtel Corporation, Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall, as well as with consulting and real estate development firms.
Mr. Tuncer earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley, and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He also held licenses in Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering in the State of California.
His awards included:
MARY TUNCER
Mary Mills Tuncer is the co-founder of GFTSE and Chairman Emeritus of the ESBAS Board of Directors. Mrs. Tuncer also has an active role in the management of Space Camp Türkiye. In her earlier career, Mrs. Tuncer taught French and social studies at the junior high school level and worked as a graduate admissions evaluator at the University of Southern California.
An active member of the community, she has volunteered for community and civic activities including co-operative preschool, parent-teacher associations and various women’s groups.
Mrs. Tuncer completed her undergraduate studies at Dickinson College, Pennsylvania, the University of Grenoble, France, and UC Berkeley, where she received a B.A. degree in French and a post-graduate secondary teaching credential.