Consul General M. Levent Bilgen obtained his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Management at George Mason University (GMU) in Virginia. He later received his Master of Arts degree in International Transactions at the Faculty of Humanitarian and Social Sciences at GMU.
After numerous years in lobbying and public relations sector in Washington, D.C., Mr. Bilgen joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey in 1995. He served at various posts at the Turkish Embassies in Beijing (1997-1999), and Tel-Aviv (1999-2002), as well as at the Permanent Representations to the United Nations Headquarters/New York (2003-2007), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)/Montreal (2009), respectively.
During his tours at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bilgen worked at Deputy Directorates-General for Overseas Promotion of Turkey (1995-1997), and Policy Planning (2002-2003). Most recently in Ankara, Mr. Bilgen served as the Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the National Security Council (2007-2009).
Mr. Bilgen was appointed to Toronto in November 2009, to establish the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey. After serving in Toronto for two years, Mr. Bilgen has been appointed to New York and has assumed his duties as Consul General in December 2011.
Consul General Bilgen, born in Ankara in 1966, is married with two children.