Merve Derya Yazicioglu was born and raised in Istanbul when she completed her Ballet education at Istanbul Conservatory. After high school, she moved to Denmark and then to the Netherlands, where she graduated from the University of Groningen with a BA in English Language and Culture (Medieval Literature and Film Minor). She both worked at the government-run Film Archive and Film Magazine as she completed her education. She is currently back in Istanbul completing her Master's Thesis in Film Studies at Istanbul Okan University.