Koksal said in an internal mail that as a company, they only recognised Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official celebrations, not the start of Ramadan [GETTY]
A leading Turkish businessman was barred from travelling abroad on Sunday, a day after being detained over an internal mail prosecutors alleged was limiting freedom of belief, local media reported, reigniting a debate about the extent of secularism in the country.
Cem Koksal, CEO of Zorlu Holding, a Turkish conglomerate operating in several fields from energy to appliances and electronics, was detained on Saturday after the Istanbul prosecutor’s office launched a probe into an internal mail exchange over the celebration of Ramadan, Muslim holy month.
Ergun Guler, CEO of electronics company Vestel, a subsidiary of Zorlu Holding, celebrated the start of Ramadan in a message sent to employees on Friday.
In response, Koksal said in an internal mail that as a company, they only recognised Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official celebrations, not the start of Ramadan.
He said the company wanted to “maintain a secular stance. As we strive to become a multinational corporation, we expect to have employees from all religions and nationalities.”
After the mail circulated on social media, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office launched a probe against Koksal on Saturday on charges of “preventing the exercise of freedom of belief, thought and expression”, the official Anadolu news agency reported.
A day after he was detained and questioned, Koksal was conditionally released on Sunday, but the court barred him from travelling overseas, the private DHA news agency reported.
Zorlu Holding announced late on Saturday that Koksal resigned from his position as CEO.
In a statement, Zorlu Holding later said it acknowledged the “sensitivity” caused by the “internal argument over management principles”, and that Koksal had resigned as of March 1.
“It is known to the public that Zorlu Holding has been an institution with family values ​and business ethics since 1953 and has been integrated with the national and spiritual values ​of our country,” it said.
“As the Zorlu Group, we convey our sadness due to what has happened to all our stakeholders and the public,” it added.
