04.11.2026 14:40
Ali Ağaoğlu's words at the funeral ceremony of Zorlu Holding Chairman Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, who passed away at the age of 82, held at the Levent Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Mosque—'According to my belief, the place he will go is heaven'—sparked a huge controversy.
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, Chairman of the Board of Zorlu Holding, passed away at the age of 82 in the hospital where he had been receiving treatment for some time. A funeral ceremony was held for Zorlu at the Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha Mosque in Levent, Istanbul. At the funeral of the famous industrialist, who was sent off on his final journey with a ceremony attended by many figures from the business and political world, the remarks of businessman Ali Ağaoğlu left their mark.
ALİ AĞAOĞLU'S REMARKS DREW ATTENTION
Businessman Ali Ağaoğlu, who has occasionally made headlines with his private life and remarks, said the following in a statement to members of the press at the funeral: "Turkey has lost an important entrepreneur. May God have mercy on him, may God grant him paradise. In any case, according to my belief, the place he will go is paradise."
"DID YOU TAKE OVER HEAVEN TOO?"
These words of Ağaoğlu quickly spread on the X (Twitter) platform and attracted the attention of social media users. Many comments were made by users regarding the businessman's statement, such as "Did you take over heaven too?", "It was an inappropriate expression", and "So it seems he could not express his good wish correctly."
"TURKEY HAS LOST A GREAT INDUSTRIALIST"
Turkey's 11th President Abdullah Gül, who attended the funeral and conveyed his condolences to the Zorlu family, also made assessments about the late industrialist. Emphasizing that Ahmet Nazif Zorlu was one of Turkey's most important industrialists, Gül said, "Yes, Mr. Nazif was one of Turkey's true industrialists. We were truly very sad. In his final period he had an illness; I followed it. May God have mercy on him, may his resting place be paradise. Turkey has lost a great industrialist and entrepreneur."