Zorlu Holding CEO Cem Koksal detained over controversial Ramadan remarks

Zorlu Holding CEO Cem Koksal was detained as part of an investigation initiated against him for sending an email to all employees instructing them not to celebrate the month of Ramadan. Zorlu Holding owns Vestel, one of Türkiye’s largest manufacturing giants.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation on charges of “preventing the exercise of freedom of belief, thought, and conscience.”

In a statement, the prosecutor’s office said, “An investigation has been initiated ex officio by our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the incident where Zorlu Holding CEO Cem Koksal sent an email to all employees instructing them not to celebrate the month of Ramadan, which was reflected in some social and visual media outlets. He is being investigated for the crime of ‘preventing the exercise of freedom of belief, thought, and conscience.'”

Koksal was detained following the prosecutor’s office’s instructions.

CEO Koksal resigns, says board

Zorlu Holding’s Board of Directors issued a statement regarding CEO Koksal: “We hereby announce that Cem Koksal, CEO of Zorlu Holding, has resigned from his position as of March 1, 2025.”

“It is publicly known that Zorlu Holding has been an institution with family values and business ethics since 1953, integrating with the national and spiritual values of our country,” the statement added.

The company also stated, “As Zorlu Group, we express our regrets to all our stakeholders and the public for these developments.”

Ergun Guler, the CEO of Vestel, a subsidiary of Zorlu Holding, sent a message to the company employees to wish them a happy Ramadan.

However, Zorlu Holding CEO Cem Koksal responded to the message by saying, “Ergun, Ramadan is not on our list of days to be celebrated corporately. Only the religious holidays, Seker Eid and Eid Al Adha, are included. It is not appropriate for us to corporately celebrate religious days other than these.”

As background, the secular side of Türkiye’s political spectrum refuses to use the name “Ramadan.” Instead, the term “Seker” (sugar) is used to refer to the sweets collected by children on the first day of the Eid.