International News: Turkey’s leisure marine market

Turkey plans more marinas in leisure marine expansion.

By IBI Magazine/David Robinson. With Turkey’s ambitious plan to double its share of the Mediterranean leisure marine market from 5 to 10 per cent, the development of new marinas is playing a key role in this. It has a strategy to have 50,000 marina berths by 2023 and has just announced plans for further marinas. This follows in the wake of plans announced recently to significantly expand marina capacity around Istanbul.

These new ones, which will include an as yet unspecified number of larger yacht berths, will be constructed at Trabzon, Avsa, Silvri and Yenifoca. The marinas will be developed with state support using the build-operate-transfer method according to the Turkish Directorate General of Railways, Seaports & Airports, which will oversee the programme. Thirty-year operating concessions are available for the marinas at Trabzon and Avsa and 40 years at Silvri and Yenifoca. This is a familiar pattern in Turkey, which has already generated several new berths.

The Dogus Group, already Turkey’s largest marina operator, is also expanding its activities. The group already operates marinas at Turgutreis near Bodrum and Didim, a 580-berth facility opened last year and able to take yachts up to 50m (164ft). Dogus will also be taking over Port Göcek, which has some 40 berths for yachts over 25m (82ft) and can accommodate craft up to 45m (148ft).

This year the group will also start work on a major new marina at Serigerme in Dalaman. This is anticipated to have at least 1,000 berths, including several for superyachts, but a Dogus spokesman at the London Boat Show told IBI that the final berth number has not yet been finalised.

Furthermore, Dogus added an international dimension to its marina business last year by participating in the Mandalina project in Croatia alongside NCP and IGY. It is understood by IBI that Dogus and IGY are now working together in Turkey both on the group’s existing projects and new ones.