Response from Murat Ülker to the allegation of betraying the conservative segment.

17.03.2025 09:30

Murat Ülker, with a net worth of 5.1 billion dollars, the richest businessman in Turkey, responded to allegations that he betrayed the conservative segment. Noting that he is sometimes referred to as "Atatürkist" on social media, Ülker stated, "I have never been part of any ideology or political group. I did my job, I worked for my country. I was a nationalist, I was a Muslim, but I never added any suffixes like -ist or -ist to these."

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Turkey's richest businessman Murat Ülker answered questions from his followers on LinkedIn. Ülker, who also responded to questions about his family's origins, stated that his paternal side is of Crimean immigrant descent and represents the third generation of the Crimean States Family in Turkey.

Ülker said, "My father was not very interested in Crimea due to the bad experiences he had, but I traced the traces of the past. Our family comes from the Ottoman's Evlad-ı Fatihan generation. However, sometimes unfounded claims are made on social media. Things like 'Khazar Jew' and 'Karay Turk' are said. These are baseless claims. We are neither Khazar nor Karay Turks, but we are Tat; that is, we are a mixed Tatar community living by the coast."

"I HAD FRIENDS FROM EVERY POLITICAL GROUP"

One of the most curious questions about his education life was why he preferred Istanbul Erkek Lisesi instead of İmam Hatip Lisesi. Murat Ülker explained this decision as follows: "My father and my great uncle were graduates of Istanbul Erkek Lisesi. But I didn't come here just because of family tradition; I earned it and ranked 4th. The reason I chose Boğaziçi University is that it was the best school in Turkey that offered education in English in 1977."

Ülker also added that he had friends from all kinds of political groups during his education years, but he did not define himself with a specific ideology.

"I LEARNED MY RELIGION WITHOUT EXTREMISM"

While describing his own childhood, Ülker, who was asked, "Did you grow up in a religious family?" stated that he received his first religious education from Mahmut Bayram Hoca and that his family valued religious sensitivities, but this was lived without extremism.

"I AM NATIONALIST, I AM MUSLIM"

Addressing the speculations about him on social media, Ülker stated that such claims have no basis. "Sometimes it is said that I am 'Atatürkist', sometimes it is claimed that I have 'betrayed the conservative segment'. The truth is, I have never been part of an ideology or a political group. I did my job, I worked for my country. But unfortunately, absurd claims spread in the world of social media because they attract attention. I was a nationalist, I was a Muslim, but I never added -ist or -ist suffixes to these."