04.11.2026 16:01
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, a businessman who passed away at the age of 82, was laid to rest in Istanbul on his final journey. His wife Zülal Zorlu's words at the coffin, "He left me behind," were heart-wrenching, while the family's wish to carry the coffin on their shoulders all the way to the cemetery drew attention. Although they were told that the distance was far, family members who carried the coffin for a while, saying "Pull the hearse," later accepted the body being placed in the funeral vehicle.
Businessman Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, who had been undergoing cancer treatment for some time, passed away on November 2 at the age of 82. Zorlu Holding announced the sad news with the statement, "We are deeply saddened to have lost our Chairman of the Board, Ahmet Zorlu, today in the hospital where he had been receiving treatment for some time." A funeral ceremony was held for Zorlu at the Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Mosque in Levent, Istanbul.
HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WERE OVERCOME WITH TEARS
The funeral prayer, performed at noon, was attended by 11th President Abdullah Gül, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan, Zorlu's family, relatives, and colleagues, as well as many names from the business, political, arts, and sports worlds. Abdurrahim Albayrak, Bülent Eczacıbaşı, Raif Dinçkök, Ali Ağaoğlu, Serdar Bilgili, Yıldırım Demirören, Mahsun Kırmızıgül, Şenol Güneş, and Adnan Polat also attended the ceremony and offered their condolences to the Zorlu family.
While Ahmet Nazif Zorlu's son, Mehmet Emre Zorlu, carried his coffin, his daughters Şehminur Zorlu Aydın and Şule Zorlu shed tears at their father's coffin. Zorlu's grandchildren also experienced great sorrow as they said goodbye to their grandfather.
HIS WIFE'S WORDS BROKE HEARTS
One of the most emotional moments at the funeral ceremony was the farewell of Ahmet Nazif Zorlu's wife, Zülal Zorlu, at the coffin. Shedding tears for her husband, Zülal Zorlu expressed her pain with the words, "He left me and went away." During the moments when his mother was experiencing great sorrow, her son Emre Zorlu tried to console her.
ALBAYRAK RECOUNTED THEIR LAST PHONE CALLS
Speaking at the funeral ceremony, Abdurrahim Albayrak spoke of his years-long friendship with Zorlu and recounted one of their last phone conversations.
Albayrak said, "I have known him for years. A month and a half ago, I had appeared on NTV's live broadcast. As soon as the broadcast ended, he called me and said, 'You told where you came from; tears came from my eyes while you were speaking.' May his resting place be paradise; thousands of people earned their bread from his hands. May God grant patience to those he left behind."
Mahsun Kırmızıgül said, "He was a person I loved very much, a valuable businessman. He was truly a gentleman. I offer my condolences to his colleagues, especially his family." Ali Ağaoğlu expressed his sorrow with the words, "Our condolences. Turkey has lost an important entrepreneur. May God make his resting place paradise."
HIS FAMILY OBJECTED TO THE HEARSE
After the funeral prayer, when Ahmet Nazif Zorlu's body was about to be placed in the hearse, family members objected, saying, "Move the hearse." Zorlu's relatives stated that they wanted to carry the coffin on their shoulders all the way to Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.
Although it was said that the distance between the mosque and the cemetery was quite far, the family members did not give up their decision. The relatives, who carried the coffin on their shoulders for a while, later accepted that the body be taken by the hearse.
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu's body was buried in the family plot at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.