Born in Mercan in 1965, Mr. Ertem attended secondary school and high school in Erzurum after completing the primary school in Mercan.

He graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Public Administration in 1987. In the same year, he started his master's studies at Istanbul University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science.

He earned his Master's Degree in 1990 with a dissertation titled "Practices Related to Foundations in the Early Years of the Republic". In the same year, he started his PhD at Istanbul University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Social Structure and Social Change.

In 1997, he completed his PhD with a thesis titled "Foundations in terms of Social Integration in the Ottoman Empire and the Republican Period".

He conducted all his academic studies on foundations. He has expertise and studies especially on regulations to be made in the foundation legislation as well as community foundations.

He started his professional life in 1988 as Assistant Inspector at the General Directorate of Foundations. He was appointed as Inspector in 1991 and as Chief Inspector in 2002. He worked as Director of the Regional Directorate of Foundations of Istanbul between 2002-2007. In November 2007, he was appointed as the Deputy Undersecretary of the Prime Ministry.

He served as the Director General of the Directorate General for Foundations between 14 October 2010 and 26 December 2019. In December 2019, he was assigned as the Deputy Minister of Family, Labour and Social Services.

Following the reorganisation of Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services in 2021, Mr. Ertem was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security.

Mr. Ertem speaks English and is married with two children.