He protested, was beaten, and lost his life... Scandalous statement from Çalık Holding!

In a tragic incident that took place in front of the Çalık Holding building in Istanbul, former employee Erol Eğrek lost his life. It is alleged that Eğrek was protesting in front of the building over a long-standing severance pay claim when he was beaten to death by security guards.

The incident occurred on May 9, 2025, at approximately 14:30. According to eyewitnesses, Eğrek arrived in front of the building with a weapon, followed by a brief period of tension.

According to information obtained from security sources, Eğrek fired several shots with his weapon. Eğrek, who was neutralized as a result of the intervention by security guards, lost his life shortly thereafter.

ÇALIK HOLDING BLAMES THE DECEASED

Following the incident, which caused a major stir in public opinion, Çalık Holding issued a written statement. The statement noted that Erol Eğrek had previously worked at a factory abroad and had received all his rights upon his departure. It was claimed that Eğrek had made "baseless accusations" against the company over the years.

The Holding's statement described the incident as follows:

"On May 9, 2025, at approximately 14:30, an armed protest attempt took place in front of our Holding building. The individual in question fired 3-4 shots, creating a life-threatening situation in the busy area between our building and the hospital.

Considering the presence of a school, a hospital, and employees in the immediate vicinity, law enforcement was immediately notified. Upon the individual's resistance with his weapon, an intervention was swiftly carried out to prevent any loss of life or injury, and he was handed over to law enforcement officers."

In the evening hours, it was learned from authorized units that Erol Eğrek, who carried out the protest, had unfortunately lost his life. First and foremost, we wish God's mercy upon the late Erol Eğrek and extend our condolences to his family and loved ones.

Erol Eğrek worked at a factory abroad, in which we are a minority shareholder, about 10 years ago and subsequently left his position after receiving all his rights.

However, over the 10-year period that has passed since then, he has made baseless accusations against our company to judicial and administrative authorities with claims that he had not received his rights.

We are closely following the initiated judicial process and are acting in communication with all authorized bodies. In order to ensure the public is correctly informed, we kindly request that no attention be paid to comments and speculations made outside of the statements from official authorities."