Aqmaris has made headlines by ordering 16 vessels worth $600 million, joining fierce competition led by Koç Holding and Ciner Group.
This year, there is a veritable race for ship orders at sea. The favorite companies in the ship order race are Koç Holding companies and the Ciner Group. Aygaz, Ditaş, and Tüpraş, which are part of the Koç Group, took a step towards fleet expansion with an order worth 900 million dollars, while Ciner responded with 9 giant ships worth 1 billion dollars. The latest company to join the race is Aqmaris, owned by the Bekmezci family. Aqmaris, managed by Cenk Bekmezci, made a record purchase by ordering 16 ships with a budget of 600 million dollars.
Companies, including some of Turkey's largest groups, seem to be entering a bidding war for orders, signing shipbuilding agreements with Asian shipyards one after another. For many companies, especially Koç Holding and Ciner, 2026 has become a season of billions of dollars in orders. In fact, one of the purchases that can be considered a record in the sector is among them.
The Turkish company Aqmaris Ship, established last year, has entered a challenging agreement process by placing a total of 16 orders, including 12 new ships from China. Aqmaris, owned by Cenk Bekmezci, a member of a textile-origin family, had ordered 4 ships in January of this year. Bekmezci has now decided to add 12 more ships to this number. For this, the Chinese Wuhu Shipyard will build 4 ships, and Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering will construct 8 ships. Both Chinese shipyards will deliver the ships by the end of 2029. The financing for all shipbuilding projects has been provided by Chinese leasing companies.
Orders to Chinese Wuhu Shipyard
According to information released from Aqmaris' official site, the hull numbers of the new ships to be built by Wuhu Shipyard, one of which is 64,500 dwt, have been designated as W2611, W2612, W2613, and W2614.
600 MILLION DOLLARS FOR 16 SHIPS
In January 2026, Wuhu Shipyard signed a contract with Aqmaris Ship for the construction of two 64,500 DWT bulk carriers and secured an option for two additional ships. Of the total 16 orders placed this year, 8 will be constructed at Wuhu Shipyard. Wuhu Shipyard stated that this bulk carrier uses the new generation 'Dolphin' design for Supramax bulk carriers. Nantong Xiangyu will undertake the remaining 8 Ultramax bulk carriers.
The financing for all shipbuilding projects has been provided by Chinese leasing companies. The total value of the 16 ordered ships is approximately 600 million dollars.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
