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KFC’s abrupt departure from Türkiye earlier this year stunned millions of customers and disrupted one of the country’s largest fast-food networks.
The sudden closure of 537 KFC and Pizza Hut branches not only left thousands of employees without work but also marked one of the most dramatic franchise collapses in Türkiye’s recent business history.
For decades, KFC had been a familiar name in Turkish cities, from shopping malls to high streets, and its disappearance raised immediate questions about how such a well-known global brand could fail so completely.
Serhan Suzer, who served as CEO of KFC Türkiye for three years and is the son of businessman Mustafa Suzer, the man who first brought KFC to Türkiye in 1989, is now offering his account of what happened.
In an extensive interview with Turkish outlet Patronlar Dunyasi, he traced the chain’s rise, detailed the management disputes that led to a split with its Qatari partners, and explained why he believes the collapse began after the company was sold to Yum! Brands.
Former KFC Türkiye CEO Serhan Suzer said that KFC came to Türkiye when his father obtained the franchise rights in 1989.
Then-Prime Minister Turgut Ozal encouraged the Suzer family to work with foreign investors to set an example for attracting capital to Türkiye.
Suzer Holding partnered with Qatar’s Almana Group to create Turkent A.S., a 50-50 joint venture that acquired the rights to operate KFC in the country.
At the time, KFC was owned by PepsiCo, which also controlled Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. PepsiCo later spun off its restaurant division to form Yum! Brands, which took over the global management of these brands.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Turkent used its good reputation to acquire the Pizza Hut Türkiye franchise rights as well.
This expansion made the company a major player in Türkiye’s fast-food sector.
When Suzer joined Turkent’s board in 2009, he quickly discovered what he called a serious case of corruption.
“Four senior executives, including Almana’s representative and Suzer Holding’s representative, distributed generous year-end bonuses without our required signature,” he told Patronlar Dunyasi.
The joint venture agreement required dual approval for major financial decisions, but the executives bypassed Suzer Holding.
Suzer traveled to Qatar to meet with Omar Almana, the founder of the Almana Group, and personally confronted him.
“He held the protocol upside down and pretended to read it. That’s when I realized he was illiterate,” Suzer said.
The conversation escalated into what he described as a tense standoff. Almana insisted, “This is my company. I can pay my managers whatever I want.”
“This is a 50-50 company, and without our consent, you cannot spend company money. If this continues, we will end the partnership,” Suzer responded.
After returning to Türkiye, Suzer Holding sent Almana a formal warning and demanded the dismissal of the managers who signed the payments.
Almana refused to remove them, which deepened the crisis. Suzer said they then filed a criminal complaint against the executives and Almana himself. Only after prosecutors became involved did Almana agree to a resolution process.
To resolve the dispute, both sides agreed to hire a Lebanese investment banker to value the company and conduct a competitive auction.
Each side was allowed to raise its price offer until one emerged as the winner. Suzer Holding ultimately outbid Almana and purchased the remaining 50% of Turkent, taking full control of the company.
Suzer then became CEO and began restructuring the business. All managers involved in the bonus scheme were dismissed along with their close associates. “After cleaning up the company, we could finally focus on growth,” he said.
The transition allowed Suzer Holding to reestablish full control and stabilize operations.
Under Suzer’s leadership, Turkent experienced its fastest period of growth.
Within six months, 25 new restaurants were opened without taking any loans. Suzer said this was made possible by sponsorship deals and strong supplier support that kept the company cash-positive. “At one point, we could open a restaurant from scratch in just 13 days, a sector record,” he said.
Before stepping down, he submitted a detailed report to his family recommending a sale while the company was still performing strongly, warning that supplier and rent costs were rising too fast to pass fully onto consumers.
Suzer Holding initially negotiated with a private equity fund that made the highest bid for Turkent.
However, because Yum! Brands owned the KFC and Pizza Hut trademarks; the sale required its approval. Yum! countered with an even higher offer and acquired Turkent directly. “Selling to Yum International started the collapse process,” Suzer said.
He emphasized that during Suzer Holding’s 24-year tenure, the company grew steadily and generated strong cash flow.
“Every move we made created buzz, and the company was full of cash,” he said.
According to him, management problems began after Yum! took over, leading to operational decline and eventually to bankruptcy.
In January 2025, Yum! Brands ended its franchise agreement with Is Holding, closing 537 KFC and Pizza Hut outlets and leaving thousands unemployed.
This was one of the largest restaurant shutdowns in Türkiye’s history and left a gap in the fast-food market.
In June, Turkish media reported that HD Holding (owner of HD Iskender and Pidem) would take over Yum!’s Türkiye operations. However, no official announcement had been made — until now.
On Thursday, HD Holding confirmed it had signed a new franchise agreement with Yum! Brands to relaunch KFC in Türkiye, with the first restaurants expected to open by the end of 2025.
The company said the relaunch would create jobs, support local suppliers, and expand KFC’s network across the country.
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