A simple joke made by one of the patriarchs of Turkish entrepreneurship has ignited a true national case.
Rahmi Koç, honorary chairman of Koç Holding, the country’s largest conglomerate, found himself under criminal investigation for a joke considered offensive towards Kurds.
The incident not only provoked outrage and cross-party political reactions but also risks further undermining investor confidence just as Ankara seeks to attract foreign capital with generous incentives.
Koç’s case highlights the fragilities of the Turkish justice system, the ethnic sensitivities of the moment, and the latent tensions between big business and political power.
How a joke becomes a legal case
The episode dates back to last week and took place at the inauguration of a new group hospital in İzmir.
Koç, chatting with former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, told a joke about a Kurdish woman going to the doctor. The video of the moment, with the two friends laughing heartily, went viral within hours.
The reaction was swift and harsh. As reported by the Financial Times, İzmir prosecutors immediately opened an ex officio investigation for “public insult to a segment of the population.”
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek reminded that “the scales of justice do not weigh according to wealth, title, or status,” while Ömer Çelik, AKP spokesperson, called Koç’s words “deeply wrong and offensive” towards women and Kurdish citizens.
The pro-Kurdish DEM party spoke bluntly of misogyny and racism. On X, the hashtag #RahmiKoçÖzürDile soared to the top of the trends, as reported by Bloomberg.
Rahmi Koç apologized the very next day with a statement: “I sincerely apologize for my remarks, which were not intended to hurt anyone. I express my regret.” But the damage was done.
Rahmi Koç: an icon of Turkish entrepreneurship
Rahmi Koç is no ordinary entrepreneur. Born in 1930, he took the reins of Koç Holding in 1984 from his father Vehbi, the group’s founder, and led it until 2003 before passing it to his children.
Today, at 95 years old, he remains honorary chairman of an empire that for many represents the heart of the secular Turkish economic establishment.
Founded exactly a century ago, Koç Holding is the largest conglomerate in the country, with branches in various sectors including energy, finance, automotive, healthcare, and consumer goods.
At the end of March 2026, according to the quarterly report cited by Bloomberg, total assets exceeded $129.5 billion. Brands like Tüpraş, Yapı Kredi, and Ford Otosan are part of its portfolio and touch the daily lives of millions of Turks.
As the Financial Times writes, the Koç family embodies that secular elite that has not always looked favorably upon Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Islamic-nationalist style of governance.
The inauguration of the $150 million hospital in İzmir was supposed to be one of the highlights of the group’s centennial celebrations. Government and opposition figures were present, and even a free concert by Tarkan. The joke turned a week of festivities into a media and judicial crisis.
Divided reactions
The episode comes as the government is carrying out a delicate peace process with the PKK, the Kurdish group considered terrorist by the US, EU, and UK.
A parliamentary committee is working on the legal framework for disarmament, and every word on Kurdish issues carries extra weight. The DEM party harshly condemned Koç, but there was no unanimity within the majority.
Devlet Bahçeli, Erdoğan’s longtime ally and promoter of the peace initiative, defended the entrepreneur: investigating him for a joke made in a friendly conversation is “wrong,” he said, according to the Financial Times.
The opposition CHP openly speaks of a “judicial coup,” recalling the case of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan’s main rival, who is on trial for corruption.
CHP deputy Bilal Bilici summarized the sentiment of many: “Imagine if in the United States they investigated Elon Musk or Warren Buffett for a joke.”
Possible repercussions
On a concrete level, several businesses linked to the group suffered armed attacks in the following days. Fortunately, there were no injuries, but the episode increased tension.
For the government, the timing could not have been worse. Erdoğan is trying to attract foreign investors with strong tax incentives: those who move to Turkey might not pay taxes on foreign income for twenty years. “Come to Turkey and become part of our growth story,” the president recently said.
Yet, as the Financial Times observes, many economists and entrepreneurs remain skeptical. Concerns about respect for the rule of law are high: in the 2025 Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project, Turkey ranks only 118th out of 143 countries.
