Turkish shipyards: What’s new in the new build market
Published 28 十一月 2025
Our New Build Sales and Brokerage teams from nine Burgess offices headed to the sunny climes of Turkey, spending several days touring the country’s leading shipyards. From yards just outside the rich, vibrant city of Istanbul to several nestled in the beautiful coastal Antalya, the tour included stops at Bilgin, Dunya, Turquoise, Mengi Yay, Alia, and Damen.
The intention of the visits was to familiarise the team with the shipyards, hold face to face introductions with important contacts, and see firsthand the capabilities of these established but often overlooked yards. This experience is priceless when aligned with the sale prospects of yachts built in these facilities, two of which are currently for sale with Burgess: PATEA by Alia and STARBURST III by Bilgin.
‘Visiting the shipyards is fundamental to how we work; it’s where we gather the most up-to-date information for our clients, but also where we build the trusted relationships that ultimately benefit owners, brokers and the yards themselves. These visits give us direct insight into the shipyard’s future plans, evolving design and build philosophies for their new concepts in development, as well as the latest opportunities available for our clients.’
Rory Boyle, Partner – Head of New Build Sales, Naval Architect
The Turkish market
'The new build market in Turkey is in a powerful growth phase, ranking second only to Italy for the number of new yacht orders, according to Boat International’s Global Order Book 2025. Over the past 12 months, several standout projects have been delivered, with an increasing number of internationally recognised designers now collaborating with Turkish yards. Quality is advancing rapidly too. Today’s Turkish-built yachts feature finishes and craftsmanship that place them firmly in competition with major European shipyards.
'As our teams observed during recent yard tours, Turkey’s shipyards are investing heavily in new infrastructure, expanding their capacity to take on more projects and build on speculation. According to the latest data, Turkish yards currently have 146 projects in build – 32 more than last year – representing 6,410m of construction in total.’
'For clients considering a new build, Turkey’s yards now offer a compelling blend of quality, scale and value that merits serious consideration.'
Turquoise Yachts
Damen
ARES
Bilgin
Dunya
Alia
Mengi Yay
New build options on the market
Hear from the brokers and new build experts that were on the ground as they share their insights on the different yards, the best models available, and why you should choose Turkey for your next build.
Turquoise Yachts
‘Turquoise is one of Turkey's preeminent shipyards, recognised for its excellence in building innovative, high-quality custom yachts, and PROJECT RAFALE is a standout example of the yard's capabilities. At 87m and 2,600GT, the project delivers impressive scale, including an 11-cabin layout with a private owner’s deck and design by the renowned UK design firm H2. On top of that, a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system underscores Turquoise's commitment to advanced engineering. PROJECT RAFALE is offered with delivery 42 months from contract signing.
The shipyard also has a selection of discreet, off-market opportunities around the 80m range, each with accelerated delivery timelines of under three years from signature – presenting rare access to substantial custom builds without the usual wait.'
Turquoise yachts delivered by Burgess
Bilgin Yachts
Headquartered in West Istanbul Marina, Bilgin Yachts spans five sites across Turkey and employs around 1,000 skilled workers. Over the past decade, the yard has been primarily investing in semi-custom yachts between 52-86m and is becoming one of the most exciting shipyards to watch, combining big-yacht ambition with Turkish craftsmanship and serious momentum on every platform.
Sales Broker Kevin Kramer calls the 86m Bilgin 282 'a true statement piece': 2,150GT of sweeping glass, bold architecture, and an array of facilities including 'a helipad, two jacuzzis, a pool, a full-beam beach club, and even a four-deck glass elevator'. With a range of over 5,000 nautical miles and a fully customisable interior, it’s the kind of project that turns heads long before launch.
Nicholas von Sydow points to the next Bilgin 170 as one of the most attractive semi-custom opportunities on the market today: 'Delivery is possible before summer 2027 with the freedom to choose from three interior design packages.' With six cabins, a beach club, and a generous sun deck, it’s a fast-track route to a brand-new build without sacrificing personality.
For clients chasing true lifestyle-led design, Robert Vermilye calls the Bilgin 243 'a standout opportunity' in the 70m+ space. Enhanced guest comfort is thanks to a 50sqm beach club, gym and sauna, expansive tender storage, and a fully private owner’s deck. It’s a model that merges 'modern design, liveability, and pedigree' into a seriously compelling package.
Together, these projects show why Bilgin is rewriting expectations for what a Turkish shipyard can deliver – big volume, bold design, and build slots that won’t be around for long.
LEONA
Damen
‘Damen has built on their experience to develop the newest iteration of their Yacht Support vessels, offering flexible platforms with a wide range of possibilities. Built to operate as part of a fleet or autonomously and in all sea conditions, the Yacht Support and Xplorer ranges can reach some of the world’s most remote areas with all the kit you might need, giving owners the freedom to configure the yacht according to their needs for that voyage.
'While often accompanying a primary yacht, many support vessels are gaining attention on their own for features like helicopters, submarines, scientific facilities, ATVs, dive chambers, and other watertoys – allowing owners to create a one-of-a-kind vessel with unmatched capabilities.'
For those interested, a number of these versatile vessels are available for purchase, presenting a unique opportunity to acquire a fully customisable support yacht ready for immediate use or further personalisation. The semi-custom build philosophy allows faster builds with reduced risks and, while no two are the same, the knowledge that another is in the pipeline allows a client to pre-specify much of how they will use the yacht before its arrival.
Dunya Yachts
Dunya Yachts has carved out a place for itself in the large-yacht conversation, backed by Turkey’s long maritime tradition and the kind of commercial shipbuilding infrastructure that gives a yard serious backbone. Their approach is straightforward: big facilities, experienced teams, and a focus on building large, complex yachts without the noise or theatrics.
Jonathan Hind, Managing Director of Burgess Dubai, points to FAITH as the best example of what the yard is doing right. At 88m, with exterior styling by Tim Heywood and interiors by H2, she’s scheduled for delivery in July 2028 and priced competitively. With quality akin to that from a Northern European yard, Jonathan believes she 'will undoubtedly give her Western sisters a run for their money.'
On the opposite side of the spectrum is Dunya's DY010 model. With the rising popularity of support yachts, the boundary is being blurred between whether they operate as a secondary service role or operate as more of a standalone adventure platform for a dynamic owner. But, as Sales Broker Ian Sherwood describes, 'this 48m catamaran gives true capability on both fronts. Offering an enormous capacity to carry more than a conventional monohull, it is also designed to allow helicopter operations regardless of whether the tenders are on board or not. Currently configured with five guest cabins, the yacht could be outfitted to accommodate large numbers of supporting staff or for scientific research.'
With projects like these underway and several notable yachts already in the water, Dunya is showing that Turkish yards aren’t just competing on value – they’re producing serious, pedigree-level builds in their own way, on their own terms.
Mengi Yay
‘In recent years, Mengi Yay has strengthened its presence in the sub-500GT market and diversified its portfolio with both explorer-style yachts and more traditional vessels in association with top tier designers such as Nuvolari Lenard – the NL Series. Their adaptable, forward thinking and friendly approach breeds confidence and brings great promise from this frequently overlooked yard.
'The shipyard remains committed to achieving the highest standards of quality and design, and they currently have two exciting opportunities available with short delivery times: a 52m Mediterranean style scheduled for delivery in February 2027, and the Virtus XP set for delivery in March 2026.’
ARES
Founded in 2006, ARES has extensive experience delivering high performance military and commercial vessels – having delivered over 300 vessels to more than 15 countries to date. Building on this solid reputation, they have positioned themselves as an emerging force with their transition to building superyachts and the launch of their first sailing vessel: SIMENA.
At 62m (202ft) and available immediately, she ranks among the 25 largest sailing yachts globally. A cruising ketch designed to marry performance with refined luxury, SIMENA offers a rare opportunity for a discerning owner to command a vessel that truly stands apart.
Also in build with ARES is PROJECT SPITFIRE – a fascinating 51m yacht designed in collaboration with Bannenberg & Rowell. Naval architecture is based on their award-winning patrol boat hull form, and the project is available for a client to join immediately with delivery scheduled 24 months from signing.
Alia Yachts
Based in the yachting hub of Antalya, Alia are focused on custom sub-500GT yachts. They’re a hugely capable yard, with their own in-house atelier for interior fit outs and large-scale interior mock-ups, which benefits the designers and owner when trying to visualise their designs. With seven yachts currently in build and two delivering in 2025, plus an active order book, there is prime opportunity to snatch a build slot at this Turkish shipyard.
Burgess is currently working with Alia Yachts on our first build together: PROJECT ETESIAN. As Peter Brown explains, ‘we needed to find a yard with two key attributes: both the ambition AND the experience to build a true custom vessel under the 500GT threshold, which is more of a challenge than many might imagine. With many yards focusing on semi-custom yachts when embarking on a build under 500GT, it’s becoming increasingly hard to find an experienced shipyard that has the appetite to embark upon a bespoke project of this scale. We’re hugely excited to see this project come to life.’
Start your new build journey today
To discuss these Turkish new build opportunities, please get in touch with your Burgess broker. They will help you find the shipyard that fits your vision and navigate the process from concept to delivery.
To find out more about Burgess’ yachts for sale and yachts for charter, please contact a Burgess broker. Alternatively, get in touch with one of our offices directly: London, Monaco, New York, Miami, Singapore or all other locations.
- Yachts, prices and availability are correct at the time of publication.
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