07.06.2026 00:21
HÜDA PAR filed a criminal complaint with the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against businessman Rahmi Mustafa Koç for using derogatory expressions towards Kurdish women in a joke he told at a hospital opening ceremony in İzmir.
The Free Cause Party (HÜDA PAR) Human Rights and Legal Affairs Directorate has initiated a legal process against businessman Rahmi Mustafa Koç over his speech, which allegedly contained targeting and degrading statements against Kurdish citizens. In the petition submitted to the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office through the party's lawyer, Attorney Feyzullah Çiftçi, punishment for Koç was demanded.
EXPRESSIONS IN THE ANECDOTE HE TOLD CAUSED REACTION
The incident occurred during the opening ceremony of a hospital held in İzmir's Balçova district on June 5, 2026. The ceremony, attended by media members, politicians, and business representatives, included tours of the hospital and speeches. An anecdote told by Rahmi Mustafa Koç during this event sparked a crisis.
"EXCEEDED THE BOUNDARIES OF SIMPLE HUMOR"
In the criminal complaint petition, it was stated that in the anecdote told by the suspect, Kurdish women were depicted as characters unable to understand even the most basic medical instructions, lacking the ability to engage in civilized communication, and unable to grasp social boundaries. The petition emphasized that this narrative exceeded the limits of simple humor, carrying an effort to systematically portray women of a specific ethnic origin as "stupid," "primitive," and "inadequate."
DEMAND FOR PUNISHMENT UNDER TCK 216/2
HÜDA PAR lawyers stated that the expressions in question devalued a segment of the public by categorizing them based on ethnic identity and fueled societal prejudices. Arguing that this act contained all elements of the crime of "publicly degrading a segment of the public" as regulated in Article 216/2 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), they demanded that a necessary investigation be conducted against the suspect. Party officials announced in a statement on social media that they would follow the process to the end.