Ahmet Üzümcü

{{Short description|Turkish diplomat}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ahmet Üzümcü

| honorific_suffix = CMG

| image = Ahmet Üzümcü at Chatham House - 2018 (28131932497) (cropped).jpg

| alt = Ahmet Üzümcü at Chatham House in May 2018

| caption = Üzümcü, 2018

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|08|30}}

| birth_place = Armutlu, Yalova, İstanbul Province, Turkey

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| nationality = Turkish

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| education = Political science

| alma_mater = Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University

| occupation = Diplomat

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| spouse = Işıl Üzümcü

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Ahmet Üzümcü (born August 30, 1951) is a Turkish career diplomat, who previously served as the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).{{cite web |publisher=NATO |title=NATO Permanent Representative of Turkey |url=http://www.nato.int/cv/permrep/tu/uzumcu-e.htm|date=2004-11-25 |accessdate=2010-10-05 }}{{cite web |publisher=OPCW |title=OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü |url=http://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/technical-secretariat/director-general/ |date=2010-09-06 |accessdate=2010-10-04 }}

He graduated from Foreign Relations Department of the Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University.

Üzümcü was consul at the Consulate General in Aleppo, Syria, and ambassador to Israel from July 28, 1999, to June 30, 2002. Between 2002 and 2004, he served as the Permanent Representative of Turkey to NATO. Üzümcü was appointed Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations Office at Geneva in 2006, serving at this post until 2010. In 2008, he became chair of the Conference on Disarmament.{{cite web |publisher=armscontrol.org|title=OPCW Chooses New Director-General |url=http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2009_11/OPCW|date=November 2009|accessdate=2010-10-04| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101019030253/http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2009_11/OPCW |archivedate=19 October 2010 | url-status= live}}

Üzümcü received an Honorary Doctorate for Lifetime Achievements in Arms Control and Disarmament in 2010 from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, a for-profit business whose lack of university accreditation has put it under the spotlight of the news media,{{Cite web |last=Lanci |first=Camille |date=2022-11-16 |title=Geneva private universities come under the spotlight |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/geneva-private-universities-come-under-the-spotlight/47786510 |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=SWI swissinfo.ch |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-28 |title=#95 The G{{!}}O Briefing, April 28, 2022 |url=https://www.thegenevaobserver.com/briefings/78-the-g-o-briefing-april-28-2022/ |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=THE GENEVA OBSERVER |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-14 |title=A Genève, des universités privées proposent des formations onéreuses non reconnues par les autorités académiques suisses |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/13238587-a-geneve-des-universites-privees-proposent-des-formations-onereuses-non-reconnues-par-les-autorites-academiques-suisses.html |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=rts.ch |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2022-05-19 |title=À Genève, des “universités” privées aux pratiques douteuses |url=https://fr.news.yahoo.com/%C3%A0-gen%C3%A8ve-universit%C3%A9s-priv%C3%A9es-pratiques-101507073.html |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Yahoo News |language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web |date=2022-05-19 |title=À Genève, des “universités” privées aux pratiques douteuses |url=https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/a-geneve-des-universites-privees-aux-pratiques-douteuses |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Courrier international |language=fr}}{{cite web |title=Honorary Degree Recipients |url=http://genevadiplomacy.com/faculty-at-gsd/honorary-degree-recipients/ |publisher=Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228051752/http://genevadiplomacy.com/faculty-at-gsd/honorary-degree-recipients/ |archive-date=28 February 2011 }} prior to taking up his position at the OPCW.

In 2013, during Ahmet Üzümcü's mandate as Director-General, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the OPCW.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nobel-peace-opcw-annoucement-idUSBRE99A07F20131011 |newspaper=Reuters |title=Chemical weapons watchdog wins Nobel Peace Prize for Syrian mission |date=2013-10-11 |accessdate=2013-10-11 }}

Ahmet Üzümcü is married to Işıl Üzümcü.{{cite web|url=http://www.diplomatmagazine.nl/2013/09/28/diplomatic-spouses/|work=Diplomat Magazine|title=Diplomatic spouses|accessdate=11 October 2013|date=28 September 2013|archive-date=9 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009105235/http://www.diplomatmagazine.nl/2013/09/28/diplomatic-spouses/|url-status=dead}}

In 2016 he inaugurated the academic year of the master's course in International Affairs and Development – Peace Studies at Paris Dauphine University.{{Cite web|url=http://peacestudies.dauphine.fr/fr/speciales/details/article/lecon-inaugurale-10-novembre-2016.html|title=Accueil | Université Paris Dauphine-PSL}}

In 2019, he was appointed Honorary Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), for services to international diplomacy and the rule of law.{{cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802928/2019_Honorary_awards_V1.odt|title=Honorary British Awards to Foreign Nationals – 2019}}

He is a Senior Network Member at the European Leadership Network (ELN).{{Cite web|title=Senior Network|url=https://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/networks/network-members/|access-date=2020-09-21|website=www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org|language=en-GB}}