Turkish prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the honorary chairman of the country’s largest business group after video showed him telling a joke about a Kurdish woman during a hospital opening, prompting accusations of racism and sexism as well as an apology.
The İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday it had launched the investigation into Rahmi Koç, the 95-year-old honorary chairman and board member of Koç Holding, on suspicion of publicly degrading a segment of the population.
The offense is specified in Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes publicly degrading a group based on social class, race, religion, sect, gender or regional identity and carries a prison sentence of six months to one year.
The investigation concerns remarks Koç made Friday while showing guests around the İzmir American Hospital, a $150 million facility opened by Koç Healthcare in the western coastal city’s Balçova district.
A video recorded during the tour showed Koç recounting a joke in which a doctor listens to a Kurdish woman’s complaint and instructs her to go behind a curtain and undress.
According to the joke, the woman responds, “Doctor, you undress first.”
Critics said the joke portrayed a Kurdish woman as unable to understand a doctor’s instructions and used her ethnicity, body and lack of familiarity with a medical setting as the basis for humor.
The video showed former prime minister Binali Yıldırım and other guests laughing as Koç completed the joke.
The opening was also attended by İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban, İzmir Mayor Cemil Tugay, Balçova Mayor Onur Yiğit, Koç Holding Vice Chairman Ali Koç and Vehbi Koç Foundation Chairwoman Semahat Arsel.
The prosecutor’s office referred to the businessman by the initials R.K. and said it had opened the investigation on its own initiative after footage of the remarks appeared in the media and on social platforms.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek later identified Koç in a statement announcing the investigation.
“The scales of justice do not weigh anyone according to wealth, title or status,” Gürlek said.
Gürlek said describing the remarks as a joke did not lessen what he called disrespect toward women and part of the population.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party’s Women’s Assembly said the remarks targeted Kurdish women’s language, identity and bodies under the guise of humor.
The group said it would not allow racism and sexism to be legitimized through jokes.
Pervin Buldan, a lawmaker from the party and one of its most senior figures, called the incident a “disgrace.”
Criticism also came from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik described associating the words “Kurdish woman” with degrading language as “very wrong and ugly” and said Koç should apologize.
Koç later issued a statement through the company’s official social media account.
“I sincerely apologize for my words, which were not intended to target any identity,” he said, adding that he regretted the incident.
Koç Holding operates in the energy, automotive, consumer appliance and finance sectors and is the only Turkish company listed in the Fortune Global 500.
Rahmi Koç led the group from 1984 until his retirement in 2003 and remains its honorary chairman and a member of its board.
He also serves as chairman of the Vehbi Koç Foundation American Hospital, which has operated its main hospital in İstanbul since it was transferred to the foundation in 1995.