An Extraordinary Name in Erdoğan's History of Loyalty: Çetin Ay
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a leader known throughout his long political career for the importance he places on friendship and keeping his word. Yet in Erdoğan's political history, one story stands out as truly extraordinary: that of Çetin Ay, an international businessman from Kaman, Kırşehir, who has lived in Germany for half a century.
In 2017, during a period when the programs of Turkish politicians in Europe were the subject of intense discussion and several events faced serious difficulties, one of the names who came to the fore in Germany was the Kaman-born businessman Çetin Ay.
This period coincided with the large gathering held in Germany by then-Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım as part of the AK Party's 2017 constitutional referendum campaign. While crises arose over the programs of Turkish politicians in various parts of Europe, the organizations in Germany also ran into administrative and logistical difficulties.
This is exactly where Çetin Ay's story takes a different turn.
Although he held no official position, Ay — a well-known Turkish businessman in Germany — is reported to have mobilized his own resources and network, providing significant material and moral support to help overcome the obstacles facing Binali Yıldırım's program and ensure the event could take place.
Photographs and video recordings from those days also bear the traces of the support Ay gave to the political delegations arriving from Turkey. Among them are extraordinary images showing his personal car near President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's aircraft.
At the center of Ay's support was not political expectation but Turkey itself. Although his political views did not fully align with those of the AK Party, he is said to have set such differences aside whenever his country's representation abroad was at stake.
What happened afterward is even more remarkable.
Ay never turned the support he gave into personal gain. He did not request office, tenders, business, money, or privileges, nor did he expect anything in return.
For this reason, Çetin Ay's story stands out not as a settling of accounts, but as an extraordinary tale of loyalty in Erdoğan's political history.
What remains from this story of Çetin Ay — an international businessman from Kaman, Kırşehir, who has lived abroad for half a century — is not a calculation of self-interest, but photographs, videos, and the memory of support given in the spirit of "I did it for my country."
From Word to Deed
VISION & SOCIAL IMPACT
Çetin Ay stands out not only as a successful businessman, but also for his love of animals, his commitment to human rights, and the values he carries as a Muslim.
BWA DEUTSCHLAND VERBANDSMAGAZIN · P. 48-49
Dr. Çetin Ay Also Featured in a Leading German Business Magazine
From his article "Business – Die leise Sprache gemeinsamen Wohlstands," published in BWA Deutschland Verbandsmagazin.
KIRŞEHİR · LOCAL IMPACT
Çetin Ay's Compassion, Turned into a Lasting Legacy
Candostlar Animal Shelter
Realized by the Kaman Municipality under the leadership and support of businessman Çetin Ay, the Candostlar Shelter provides a safe, caring home for stray animals in the region. In Islamic tradition, compassion for animals is regarded as a reflection of compassion for people — a principle this initiative puts into practice.
DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT
A Recognized Name on the International Diplomatic Stage
With Bulgarian President Rumen Radev
Çetin Ay's international engagements are a tangible reflection of his vision of building bridges between Turkey and Europe.
ŞOK NEWSPAPER · DECEMBER 17, 2025
A Leading Voice in Green Shipping
Consortium Chairman of the "AYN Green" Project
Developed by Turkish engineers, the hydrogen-powered "AYN Green" vessel — designed for zero-carbon emissions — has drawn the attention of international investors. Çetin Ay, a businessman active in the cruise and shipping industry in Germany and chairman of the project's consortium, told ŞOK Newspaper that his goal is to establish Istanbul as a major hub for sustainable shipbuilding.