KFC has shut down all outlets in Turkiye, declared bankruptcy

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is misleading.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a keyword search to corroborate the alleged development.

Posts from multiple users on social media platforms since April 10, 2025, claimed that international fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has announced bankruptcy and shut down over 500 outlets in Turkiye. However, the development is old from February 2025.

Boycott campaigns across the world gained momentum in the wake of the breakout of Israel’s devastating military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Multinational corporations have been at the forefront of facing the brunt of such campaigns.

In countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, multiple people have recently been reported to have attacked and ransacked local outlets of international fast food chains in an attempt to register their protests.

HOW IT STARTED

The iVerify Pakistan team was alerted on April 11 about a Facebook post and requested authentication for the content.

On April 10, a Facebook page shared a post claiming that KFC has announced bankruptcy and the closure of all 537 outlets in Turkiye. The post said it was a “a major blow driven by the growing boycott movement”.

The post racked up 91,000 reactions, 13,000 re-shares and 3,400 comments.

Similar claims were also shared by other users and accounts on Facebook as can be seen here, here, here and here, and on X here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality, to satisfy the public’s request for authentication and keen public interest in the boycott campaign and other issues related to the Gaza conflict.

A keyword search for “KFC”, “Turkiye” and “bankruptcy” to corroborate the development yielded news stories from February 2025 from several news outlets.

According to a February 7 report by Turkiye’s state-run news agency Anadolu Agency, titled: “Former owner of KFC, Pizza Hut restaurants in Turkiye files for bankruptcy”, former owner and operator of the restaurants in Turkiye, Is Gida, filed for bankruptcy with a debt of 7.7 billion Turkish liras ($214 million).

It came after Yum! Brands, the owner of the international fast food chains, terminated franchise agreements with Is Gida on January 8, 2025.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: MISLEADING

The claim about KFC shutting down outlets in Turkiye after declaring bankruptcy is misleading.

This is because the posts sharing the information presented it as being a recent and fresh development when it actually occurred in February 2025. Omitting and neglecting to mention the original date of the development has the potential to misguide the public.

Evidence and References

February 7, 2025, Anadolu Agency news report:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/former-owner-of-kfc-pizza-hut-restaurants-in-turkiye-files-for-bankruptcy/3474879