Mustafa Yılmaz was born in Nizip/Gaziantep in 1966. Pursuant to his secondary education in Nizip, he completed his higher education in İstanbul University Law Faculty between years 1984-1988. He became a free-lance lawyer in İstanbul in 1989. He worked as a lawyer in the energy sector between the years 1993-2004. In this period, he contributed to the activities of some non-governmental organisations.

He was appointed as the Board Member of EMRA in February 2004. He was assigned as the Second President with a Decision of Council of Ministers in January 2010 and was re-appointed as the Second President in February 2010. Yılmaz was assigned as the President of EMRA in February 2014 for the rest of his term of office. Finally, he was appointed as the President of EMRA on 1 March 2016 for a period of 6 years. Mustafa Yılmaz is married with three children.