The inaugural Superyacht Summit Turkiye which took place in Istanbul on 30 November, brought together 250 leading figures from across the superyacht industry, establishing itself as a significant fixture in the yachting calendar.

Staged at the opulent Ciragan Palace, a packed day of presentations addressed topical issues from the current state of the Turkish yacht market, regulations and legal matters, sustainability inititatives, developments in submersible technology, yacht charters in Turkey, and luxury tourism. 

The stellar lineup of speakers included Patrik von Sydow - CEO Turquoise Yachts, Begüm Dogulu - CEO Begüm Yachting, Berkay Yilmaz - Commercial Director Bilgin Yachts, Craig Barnett - Sales and Marketing Director Triton Submarines, David Seal - Founder Yachts for Sale, Captain Malcolm Jacotine, Jeremy Roche - European Director Denison Yachting, James Jaffa - Managing Partner Jaffa & Co., Adviye Bergemann - Founder AIDA Tours, Antonio Romano - Partner and Business Director Hot Lab, Günes Aysun - President TYBA, Jonny Horsfield - Owner and Design Director H2 Yacht Design, Kivanc Nart - General Manager AKYACHT and Murat Bekiroglu - yacht owner and Chairman Trio Deniz and YATED.

Commenting on his experience of the event, James Jaffa said: "I was privileged to speak at the SST 2023 and be amongst such an illustrious panel of speakers. It was a real pleasure for me to see people of significant seniority and depth of expertise within the superyacht market gather in Istanbul. The overwhelming feeling is that we can't wait for the next edition, I highly recommend you make the journey in 2024."

‘’The Superyacht Summit Türkiye stands as a catalyst for the ongoing expansion of the thriving Turkish market," said Oguz Bilgin, co-founder of WeAreSuperyachts who organised the event. "Beyond being a meeting of minds, the summit represents a strategic intersection where expertise, innovation, and collaborative spirit meet. It's the dynamic that keeps the magic happening in the world of yachting.'' 

Attracting attendance by all major Turkish shipyards, brokerages, lawyers, designers, subcontractors, and major Turkish associations including YATED, TYBA, and YBA, as well as number of yacht captains and owners, the event was sponsored by Begum, Tualcom, Van Oossanen, Cimolai, Sirena and Artsys.