Business magnate Rahmi Koç investigated after outcry over Kurdish woman joke
Prosecutors in İzmir have launched a criminal investigation into Rahmi Koç, the eldest member of the Koç family and owner of Turkey's largest business conglomerate, Koç Holding.
The investigation follows a backlash over a joke he told about Kurdish women during a Jun 5 opening ceremony. A video widely circulated on social media showed the 95-year-old saying, "Doctor told a Kurdish woman to undress and she responded, 'You undress first, doctor'."
Those surrounding Koç were seen laughing at the joke, including Binali Yıldırım, a senior figure in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the last prime minister of Turkey.
🔴 Rahmi Koç’un Kürt kadınlarıyla ilgili sözleri tepki çekti.
— bianet (@bianet_org) June 6, 2026
🔻İş insanı Rahmi Koç’un İzmir’de bir hastane açılışında ‘Kürt kadınlarına’ ilişkin sarf ettiği sözlere tepki yağdı
👉 Rahmi Koç tepkiler üzerine özür mesajı yayınladı. pic.twitter.com/p0LAeAxk5Z
Protests
The footage sparked a backlash on social media, with the hashtag "Rahmi Koç apologize" trending online.
Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, also called on Koç to issue an apology.
"I condemn Rahmi Koç’s racist discourse that humiliates Kurdish women," Bakırhan said. "This language is unacceptable. Women's bodies, identities, and dignity are not the subject of jokes. No status, no privilege can humiliate Kurdish women. We do not accept this approach and expect an explicit apology."
As a protest, the slogan "Jin, jiyan, azadi," which means "Woman, life, freedom" in Kurdish, was projected under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge near a Koç family mansion on the İstanbul Strait.
The next day, the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an ex-officio investigation for "degrading a segment of the public" due to "expressions deemed to target women and citizens of a specific ethnic identity."
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek also commented on the incident on social media, saying, "The scales of justice do not weigh according to anyone's wealth, title, or status; the judiciary always protects human dignity and the law.
Expressions that damage the dignity of women, hurt their pride, and are incompatible with our social sensitivities are never acceptable, no matter who says them."
Minutes after the minister's statement, Koç Holding published an apology signed by Rahmi Koç on its social media account.
"I sincerely apologize for my words, which carried no intention of targeting any identity," the message read. "I would like to sincerely share my regrets. Respectfully."
Armed attacks on Koç businesses
Following the incident, two armed attacks targets companies belonging to Koç Holding. The first attack occurred on Jun 6, when two masked individuals opened fire on the head quarters of the Otokoç automotive company in Maltepe, İstanbul.
Two masked individuals arrived at the building on Saygı Street in the Aydınevler neighborhood in the morning hours. Two bullets hit the building, and the two attackers were apprehended a day later.
An armed criminal group with a Kurdish leader, known as the Ertekinler gang, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Today, bullets were fired at the shutters of a Yapı Kredi Bank branch in Kurdish-populated Diyarbakır city. Bank employees noticed bullet holes on the windows and notified the police, who are now reviewing security camera footage. (VK)
