He was born in 1958 in Nicosia, Cyprus. After completing his primary and secondary education in Larnaca, he graduated from Nicosia Turkish High School in 1976. In 1982, he graduated from Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine. In 1983, he passed the specialization exam in the Department of Ophthalmology at Istanbul Faculty of Medicine. In 1986, he completed his ophthalmology residency at this department. Between 1986-87 and 1990-94, he worked as the deputy chief physician and specialist at Bayrampaşa Eye Foundation Hospital. After completing his military service in Cyprus from 1987-89, he returned to Turkey and served as the medical director at Bausch and Lomb Health and Optical Products Company between 1990-92. During these years, he conducted studies on ophthalmology and contact lenses at the University of Rochester in the USA and the Amsterdam Medical Academy in the Netherlands.