Koc

Koc, often written Koç in Turkish, is a term with several related uses. In Turkish, koç means a male sheep or ram, a meaning that underpins the prominence of the Koç family in business and philanthropy.

In Turkey, Koç is a major surname associated with one of the country’s largest industrial conglomerates, Koç Holding. The group has interests across sectors such as energy, automotive, finance, and consumer goods and is linked to several prominent Turkish business figures and institutions. The Koç family foundation supports education and culture, including the establishment of Koç University in Istanbul, a private research university founded in the 1990s.

Beyond the Turkish context, Koc or Koç may appear as an acronym for various organizations. Notable examples include Kuwait Oil Company, a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, which is commonly abbreviated as KOC. Another usage is the Korean Olympic Committee, which is sometimes abbreviated as KOC in international sports contexts. There are other regional or sector-specific uses as well, depending on language and context.

Because Koc/Koç has multiple meanings across languages and fields, the precise interpretation depends on context. It can refer to people and families, a corporate group and related institutions in Turkey, a Turkish word for ram, or to organizations represented by the KOC acronym.