Graduated from the Faculty of Theology of Ankara University, Yılmaz Ensaroğlu has joined various social movements since his high school education and served as director at student associations. He worked as the Secretary General and General Manager in Öz Gıda-İş Trade Union between 1978 and 1980. In 1992, he was elected as a member of the executive board of “the Association of Human Rights & Solidarity for Oppressed People” (MAZLUMDER). Between 1996 and 2004, he worked as the President of MAZLUMDER. During academic year 2005/06, he conducted research on human rights and security at Durham University in UK and took part in the TESEV’s research on security sector reform. Between 2005 and 2009 he was a member of the Executive Board of Human Rights Joint Platform. He is still a member of MAZLUMDER, Human Rights Agenda Association (İHGD) and Human Rights Research Association (İHAD). He is currently working as the Director of Law and Human Rights Department of SETA Foundation. He is the author of the book entitled “Tamamlanmamış Bir Değer: İnsan Hakları.” He has authored many articles in various books, journals and newspapers on human rights, civil society, democratization, security sector reform, civil-military relations, coup d’états, freedom of religion, secularism, Kurdish question, hate crimes among others.