EON

Our Team

Eon Tours is founded by travel professionals and guides to serve the trans-formative travel experiences and cultural exchanges to discerning travelers. We welcome you as our guests and build our services with our personal experiences in both cultures and societies. Eon Tours professionals have a combined experience of more than 100 years in travel service. Our concern for each guest is reflected in the attention to detail that is evident in every aspect of our tours. Hundreds of letters of appreciation have crossed our desk, and we are happy to supply these references on request. Your tour guide is instrumental in ensuring that your visit is enjoyable and informative. Our guides are experienced professionals who share a love of people and their country; they are multilingual and come from a variety of backgrounds. In addition to being knowledgeable about destination’s history and archaeological sites, they provide a wealth of information about modern and ancient culture and take pride in sharing their country with our guests, who quickly become friends.
Yasar Demiroz
Yasar Demiroz
Managing Director / Head Tour Guide

All his guests love the mesmerizing smile of Yasar while leading his groups. A naturally born athlete, Yasar adds endless energy and laughs to his guiding style. Born and raised as the 8th child of a big family in Batman (a real city name) in southeastern Turkey, Yasar moved to Izmir, ancient Smyrna along the Aegean Sea. He studied in Military Academy and Aegean University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. As a national team athlete in orienteering he competed more than 40 international races all around Europe. Motivated by his travel experiences, Yasar studied one more time to be a licensed tour guide. As a student for lifetime, he is currently having his post-graduate degree in the Research Institute of Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations in Mediterranean University, Antalya. The graduate thesis is on the ancient sports and travel among the athletic games in Hellenistic and Roman world. 

He works in the international excavation team of Aphrodisias in the summers. Yasar is an avid biker and reader, and he forgets neither the roads he cycles nor the books he reads. Leading from archeological to family tours, from biking to hiking expeditions, he runs a big show in Eon Team since 2015. Yasar speaks Turkish, English, Arabic, and Finnish.

Aydin Aygun
Aydin Aygun
Product & Sales Manager / Tour Guide

More than 25 years’ experience, Aydin creates and leads archeological, Biblical, and outdoor travel experiences for his guests in Turkey and Greece. He was born and raised by the River Euphrates in Eastern Turkey. After graduating from the Turkish Military Academy (the Turkish “West Point”) Aydin left the army and chose the hospitality which works better for his smiling face. Besides the major archeological sites of Turkey and Greece, he travelled the backroads on his bike and sailed/cruised most of Aegean Islands and Turkish Coastline.   

In 2003, he earned a master’s degree in Early Christian History and Theology from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Working as a guide and presenting his destinations, their culture, and society in Turkey and Greece, Aydin has developed an in-depth understanding in these subjects. With his academic background in the US, Aydin presents the complex and the crucial role of Asia Minor and Greece in the formation of the Western Civilizations and the Christian Societies to his guests. He competed as a track&field and cross country athlete for the junior national team and still run marathon under 3h every year.

Ramazan Bostanci
Ramazan Bostanci
Operations Assistant / Tour Guide

A big smile with love of people makes Ramazan ideal staff in hospitality. Joining the team in 2019 he made a big impact in our operation with his faultless organizational skills. Ramazan was born and raised in a farming family in the sunny Aegean region, by playing outdoors with cousins and running after the farm’s animals. His education took him away from farm life to a boarding school in Izmir, where he studied as a cadet in Military High School and began his athletic career.

He participated in two Junior World Orienteering Championships and World Orienteering Championships besides more than 30 times regional orienteering competitions for the Turkish National Team. There are several gold medals besides many silver and bronze in his collection. Upon graduating from Turkish Military Academy as a first lieutenant, Ramazan served in the Turkish Army until 2019. After completing his graduate degree in tourism and guidance, he chose being a tour guide for the rest of his life. Ramazan also runs half marathons in 1h11min, and his interest in the outdoors makes him a passionate and energetic guide. As an endurance athlete, he believes in the motto “believe, fight, win” and as a guide “keep smiling.”

Deniz Ozdemir
Deniz Ozdemir
Operations Assistant / Tour Guide

From being a professional actor to a tour guide, Deniz has followed an amazing journey and his calls all the time. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts at Ankara University.  He was cast as Nazarene in Salome at Ankara State Theater from 2007 to 2009. 

He also appeared as transgender Vicdan in the short movie Suratsizlar ve Aynalar which was directed by Savas Baykal and a finalist in the Boston Short Film Festival in 2008. He performed as the main characters in the series broadcasted on national channels of Turkey. Deniz also taught drama and rhythm to children as his volunteer works. After finishing his acting career in 2018, he studied English in Alexandria, VA and made a road trip across the country from Alexandria, VA to San Francisco, CA. Upon his return to Turkey, he joins Eon Team as assistant guide in 2019. Currently, he is following the graduate program in tourism and tour guidance at Afyon University. He is an active percussions artist and plays with his band. By living along Mediterranean and Taurus Mountains, he bikes, hikes, swims, and runs besides his intensive readings when he is not leading tours.

Osman Kul
Osman Kul
IT Coordinator - Operations Assistant
Ahmet Can Avci
Ahmet Can Avci
Bike Mechanic - Operations Assistant
Gokhan Bilici
Gokhan Bilici
Bike Mechanic

Gokhan loves what he does because bike is not just the machine, we ride, but a part of us in our journeys. He takes care of our fleet which is the best for any bike company in Turkey.  Born along the Black Sea, he has difficulty with the hot climate of Antalya. That is why he is on his bike up to mountains when he does not fix them in our garage. After his graduation from high school, he worked in the bicycle repair departments of the top bike stores for 3 years. He joined our team in 2017 and since then he is the big part of our success in bike tours.

Veysel Guler
Veysel Guler
Outdoor Events Manager / Tour Guide

Even winning Mach 3 Gillette Iron Man Challenge (184 km- 26 hours winning time) did not change Veysel’s low-key lifestyle. Born in a very traditional family in Eastern Turkey, Veysel grew up in the modern city of Izmir along the Aegean Sea. He graduated from Turkish Military Academy and served in the army until his retirement as a major in 2010. Despite his busy schedule, he managed to earn his graduate degree in Physical Education in 2003. As five-times national champion in orienteering, he ran on behalf of Turkish National Team more than 50 times.

He organizes training camps for orienteering national teams in the winter and leads outdoor travel programs in summer. He has directed many international races and events with thousands of participants for Turkish federations. Veysel still runs in world master games and travels all around the world.

Mert Gunal
Mert Gunal
Tour Guide

Since 2012 Mert has been managing all our operation with the utmost attention to every single detail. His professional career began at an agricultural investment bank while his hobbies took him into outdoor activities. However, it did not take long to move from money to travel. His love for hiking and biking in the mountains of Turkey turned into guiding tours around Turkey and Greece.  

An enthusiast of all kinds of musical instruments, he plays several of them in his arsenal, but the favorite is his Turkish ney flute. While leading groups, you may hear him playing in an ancient theater or providing a soundtrack for the morning mist as it lifts from the sea on bike and boat tours. His caring nature and musical touch make him an amazing guide on high demand with his returning guests. Mert is a keen photographer, hiker, and biker and the creative soul of Eon Team.  

Bilge Usta
Bilge Usta
Tour Guide / Archaeologist

Bilge loves meeting new people, learning new things, being outdoor, cycling, hiking, and sailing and that is why she has been a terrific guide for her guest since 2007. She was born and raised on the Southwest Coast of Turkey, surrounded with magnificent mountains and historic sites. This environment gave her access to diverse outdoor activities since her childhood.

She studied Classical Archaeology at the Mediterranean University and joined the field excavations in Patara. After graduation, her education and hobbies oriented her to tour guiding in archaeological and natural sites. She received her guiding license in 2007 and became the second generation in the profession with her father. As a field archeologist, she is an expert in archeological and cultural tours especially in family programs. She has been leading cultural experiences, cycling sailing, hiking, and family tours for Eon Tours since 2011. She explores the rest of the world as an avid solo traveler and photographer.

Hulya Ozbek
Hulya Ozbek
Tour Guide / Historian / Istanbul Expert

Hülya studied English Language and English-American Literature at Ankara University. With her philosophy of life based on learning new things as well as travelling, she participated in the eco-tourism educational programs of TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) on the Kackar Mountain along the Black Sea, Cappadocia, and the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. She moved to Istanbul in 2009 and completed Istanbul City Tour Expert Program in the 2010. Being the mother of twins and guiding did not stop her from having the second degree in history from the History Department in Istanbul University. She has led many different tour programs to all archaeological sites with sailing along the entire coast of Turkey and with hiking in Cappadocia. She loves sharing her extensive knowledge on the Roman, Byzantium, and Ottoman Empires as well as her warm hospitality with her guests. Her guests feel like a friend discovering the history, culture, people, and life on this land rather than a tourist while travelling with her. She loves playing the violin and listening to classical, jazz, blues, and rock music. She also worked as an English teacher at Akdeniz University and a foundation high school.

Gurcan Karakus
Gurcan Karakus
Tour Guide

Gürcan is addicted to: Biking - Eating - Moving - Fishing - Sleeping - Bik …..

His passion is to be at the mountain with rucksack or bike. He worked 20 years for different outdoor travel agencies as bike and hike guide. He likes to be active in the nature. His guests become his friends and they feel comfortable and safe while travelling with him. Gürcan was born in Hildesheim/Germany in 1973 and spent his first school years in Germany. After returning to his home country Turkey, he attended a German-speaking high school in Ankara. During the school period of the subsequent German studies he discovered his love for cycling. He participated in all major cycling races in Turkey for seven years. His great interest in nature and sport attracted him to Antalya in 1994 as a guide. What was only thought as a holiday job at that time, became his main job later. Since 2002 he has been guiding various bike and hiking tours as a professional German & English speaking tour Guide. Since 2021 he is part of our Eon Tours Family.

Serra Somersan
Serra Somersan
Tour Guide / Archaeologist

She worked at the excavations of Antandros for 7 years as a student archaeologist. She received her master’s degree at the same university specializing in ancient pottery and while doing so she started to learn Italian and went on to spend 6 months in Italy. On her return she took an intensive course to become a professional tour guide and received her guiding license in 2007. Having learnt Italian she decided to learn Spanish and also Portuguese which she made good use of as a tour guide specialized in archaeology and trekking. After 10 years of leading tours all around Turkey and travelling to distant lands around the world in the winter months, Serra started working at the Aphrodisias excavation project in 2017 where she continues to work throughout the summer months. She is currently enrolled at Oxford University as a DPhil student studying the nature sanctuaries in Western Anatolia.

Osman Aygun
Osman Aygun
CFO / Owner

For many years Osman worked as an Internal Revenue Officer for the government until he decided to establish Eon Tours with his brother Aydin in 2009 to enrich their guests with travel experiences. Osman was born and raised by the River Euphrates in Eastern Turkey. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and business administration. Osman had a misfortunate traffic accident and had to endure several operations while still studying. His determination brought him back and he still runs, swims, and bikes in any occasion.

With his extensive knowledge in financial and tax system, Osman operates the company with his smooth style through all the political and economic crises. He is not just the boss but also the big brother of Eon Team.  

Cihan Yilmaz
Cihan Yilmaz
CPA
Fulya Ozkahraman
Fulya Ozkahraman
Accountant

Fulya was born and raised in Salihli/Manisa. She has been working in our accounting department as an accounting assistant since 2002. She played basketball until the end of high school. During that period she had theatre education. Fulya likes to pursue new occupations. She wrote in a humor magazine, made/knitted amigurumi, did gardening and loves ceramics and sewing. She started her career by running a greengrocer at the age of 20. She has just received life coaching and breathing techniques trainer certificate in recent years. Fulya continues to improve herself and learn new things by participating in camps and seminars.