The Turkish billionaire Rahmi Koc (l.).Image: Imago
Police report
June 8, 2026, 3:27 p.mJune 8, 2026, 3:27 p.m
After Turkish billionaire Rahmi Koc’s joke about a Kurdish woman was criticized as discriminatory, Koc Group buildings were attacked with firearms in several Turkish cities.
Turkish authorities launched an investigation and several suspects were arrested, the state news agency Anadolu reported.
Investigations initiated
In the morning, shots were fired at a bank branch belonging to the Koc Holding in the southeastern Anatolian city of Diyarbakir, the DHA news agency reported. The branch remained closed throughout the day and the investigation is ongoing.
On Sunday night in Istanbul, two masked men shot at the headquarters of the company’s car dealership, Anadolu reported. The Istanbul public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the two suspects arrested by the police. A car dealership was shot at in Antalya, southern Turkey, and a total of three suspects were arrested. The background is still unclear.
Joke about a Kurdish woman caused a stir
Previously, a joke by Koc – the 95-year-old billionaire and honorary chairman of Koc Holding, one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates – caused a stir at an opening ceremony on Friday in Izmir. The video of his story about a Kurdish woman sparked massive criticism on social media.
Justice Minister Akin Gürlek announced on the X platform that the public prosecutor’s office had begun an investigation into “insulting a part of society.” The pro-Kurdish Dem party condemned the joke as “racist and sexist” and demanded consequences.
Koc himself apologized in a written statement on the Koc Holding’s official X account. He had no intention of offending anyone. (nil/sda/dpa)