Murat Çetinkaya has served as the governor of Central Bank of Republic of Turkey (CBRT) between 2016 and 2019. He had been a member of top-level economic policy-making platforms in Turkey, such as Economic Policies Coordination Council, Financial Stability Committee. He was the official representative of Turkey in G-20. He contributed to the works of Financial Stability Board (FSB) and Bank for International Settlement (BIS). He had been co-chair for Financial Stability Board MENA Regional Consultative Group.

He was born in Çorlu, Tekirdağ Province in 1976. Cetinkaya studied political science and international relations, with a double major in Sociology, at Boğaziçi (Bosphorus) University. He had his PhD degree in the same university in international political economy.

Prior to his appointment as governor, Cetinkaya was deputy governor in CBRT between 2012 and 2016. He had been a member of Monetary Policy Committee. He was responsible for financial stability, macroprudential policy-making and market operations. He also headed the risk committee. He represented CBRT in several international working groups and committees such as FSB Assessment of Vulnerabilities Working Group and BIS Emerging Markets Group.

Before joining CBRT, Cetinkaya served in banking industry. He started his career in 1998 at Albaraka Turkish Participation Bank and then he joined T. Halk Bankası A.S. in 2003. He became executive vice president responsible for international banking and investor relations. During this term, he had been a board member for Halk Yatirim Menkul Degerler A.S. He then served as executive vice president in Kuwait Turkish Participation Bank from 2008 to 2012.