Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, the chairman of Zorlu Holding, who transformed a family textile business into one of Türkiye's leading industrial conglomerates, has died at the age of 82 after undergoing treatment for lung cancer, the company announced Monday.
In a statement shared on its social media accounts, Zorlu Holding confirmed that its chairman had died at a hospital where he had been receiving treatment.
The company paid tribute to Zorlu's decades of leadership, crediting him with expanding the business, whose origins date back to 1953 in the Babadağ district of southwestern Denizli province, into a major industrial group with an international presence.
Through investments spanning multiple industries, Zorlu made significant contributions to Türkiye's industrial development, exports and employment, the statement said.
The company also highlighted his support for education, culture and the arts, noting his commitment to initiatives aimed at advancing social development.
Zorlu's guiding principle, "First my country, then my company, then my family," reflected his belief in Türkiye's potential and the importance of hard work and production, the statement said, describing the philosophy as one of his most enduring legacies.
His funeral will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4, following noon prayers at the Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha Mosque in Istanbul's Levent district. He will be laid to rest in the family cemetery at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.
Born in Denizli in 1944, Zorlu began his business career at an early age, following his family's involvement in the textile trade.
He initially operated a textile store in the Black Sea province of Trabzon before relocating the company's headquarters to Istanbul in 1970, laying the groundwork for what would become Zorlu Holding.
In 1976, he established Korteks, the group's first manufacturing company, marking its transition from textile trading into industrial production.
He consolidated the group's businesses under Zorlu Holding in 1990 and oversaw a major expansion in 1994 with the acquisition of electronics manufacturer Vestel, a move that helped establish the conglomerate as a prominent player in Türkiye's consumer electronics industry.
Over the following decades, Zorlu diversified the group's operations beyond textiles into home appliances, electronics, real estate, energy, metallurgy, defense and electric mobility.
Under his leadership, Zorlu Holding grew into a diversified industrial group with operations extending beyond Türkiye.
Alongside his role as chairman of Zorlu Holding, he served as chairman or deputy chairman of several companies operating under the group's umbrella.
Zorlu was also active in business associations and civil society organizations.
He served on the board of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and was a member of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSIAD), the Denizli Education and Culture Foundation (DENBIR), the Babadağ Industrialists and Businesspeople Association (BASIAD) and the Turkish Home Textile Industrialists and Businesspeople Association (TETSIAD).
His death marks the loss of one of Türkiye's prominent industrial figures, whose business career spanned more than five decades and helped shape the country's manufacturing and export sectors.