Aret Sahakyan was born in Istanbul, Turkey into multi-cultural family where food and cooking was part passion and part profession.

In the beginning of his career, Aret has worked with Roberto Donna and Yannick Cam, some of the most respected chefs in Washington D.C. He then trained with Francesco Ricchi at I Ricchi and Jean Louis Palladian at Watergate before taking the reins at Cities Restaurant with Sahir Erozan.

In 2000, Aret joined Sahir Erozan at Maçakızı as the Executive Chef and he has been creating the famous Maçakızı gastronomy experience ever since. Maçakızı received a Michelin star in Michelin Guide’s first Bodrum edition in 2024.