Burak Akgül Steers Turquoise Yachts Into a New Flagship Era

Turquoise Yachts is entering one of the most ambitious phases in its history, with executive chairman Burak Akgül guiding a fleet of landmark launches that are helping to redefine Turkey’s role in the global superyacht arena.

A Leader With Deep Superyacht Credentials

Publicly available career profiles and yachting-industry coverage depict Burak Akgül as one of the sector’s most experienced managers, with decades spent overseeing complex, large-yacht projects. Before moving to Turquoise Yachts, he was widely associated with Perini Navi, where he held senior roles in the growth of that brand’s sailing and motor yacht portfolio, gaining a reputation for combining technical rigor with client-focused project delivery.

Industry commentary indicates that this background has positioned Akgül to play a pivotal role in Turquoise Yachts’ current expansion. The company, based in Istanbul and Kocaeli, has shifted in recent years from a respected regional builder into a yard delivering increasingly large, custom superyachts for a global client base. Reports highlight that the yard’s order book has grown in both length and complexity, mirroring the broader rise of Turkey as a top-tier superyacht-building nation.

Analysts note that Akgül’s leadership coincides with a phase in which Turkish yards are moving decisively into 70 to 90 meter-plus territory, a segment once dominated almost exclusively by Northern European and Italian builders. In this context, Turquoise’s current and recent flagships serve not only as individual milestones, but also as symbols of an industry-wide shift in capability and ambition.

Angelique: Turkey’s Largest Superyacht to Date

One of the clearest markers of this new era is the delivery of M/Y Angelique, formerly known as Project Vento, which was handed over in 2026. According to specialist superyacht news outlets, the vessel measures about 87.7 meters and represents both Turquoise’s largest yacht to date and the biggest yacht ever built in Turkey by length and volume.

Angelique, designed in collaboration with long-time Turquoise partner H2 Yacht Design, has been described in published coverage as a landmark for the Turkish industry, surpassing the yard’s previous flagship, the approximately 79 meter Nympheas, ex Project Toro. Reports on the build process emphasize the technical step-up implied by Angelique’s size and gross tonnage, including expansive wellness areas, generous beach club arrangements, and entertainment-focused deck layouts that align with the expectations of ultra-high-net-worth clients.

For observers of the sector, Angelique’s completion illustrates how Turquoise has scaled up from the 50 to 70 meter range into genuine gigayacht-adjacent territory. Commentators link this to sustained investment in infrastructure at the Pendik outfitting facility and Kocaeli construction site, as well as to a management approach that balances in-house naval architecture with collaborations with leading international design studios.

From Toro to Nympheas: A Run of High-Profile Launches

Angelique’s delivery follows a sequence of headline projects that has steadily raised Turquoise’s profile. In 2024, the yard launched the 79 meter Toro from its Pendik facility, with naval architecture by Turquoise and exterior and interior design by London-based studio Harrison Eidsgaard. At the time, industry reports noted that Toro moved Turkey further into the ultra-large custom segment, with a full-displacement profile, high-volume interior and extensive guest spaces tailored to long-range cruising.

Subsequent coverage indicates that Toro was later named Nympheas on delivery, joining the global fleet as one of the most significant yachts to emerge from a Turkish yard. Commentary in yachting media points to this project, alongside earlier builds such as Infinite Jest, Jewels and Blue II, as part of a narrative in which Turquoise consistently pairs international design talent with Turkish engineering and fabrication strength.

Running in parallel, Turquoise has advanced other substantial custom projects including the 76 meter hybrid-propulsion yacht N2H, developed from the yard’s earlier Project Arrow concept. Information released about N2H highlights a battery-assisted propulsion system and a focus on efficiency and reduced noise, reflecting the growing importance of hybrid solutions at the top end of the market. For analysts, the ability to manage such technically involved projects in sequence suggests that the yard, under Akgül’s stewardship, has reached a new level of operational maturity.

Scaling Up With Hybrid Technology and Larger Tonnage

Industry data compiled in recent global order books shows Turkey as one of the fastest-growing superyacht-building nations, with double-digit percentage growth in total length under construction over the last several years. Within that broader trend, Turquoise Yachts appears repeatedly among the country’s leading builders by total meterage in build, indicating the strategic significance of its current program of large custom vessels.

Turquoise’s recent and in-build projects provide a snapshot of how the company is responding to market demands. N2H is described in specialist reports as the yard’s first fully hybrid custom yacht, aligning Turquoise with a wider industry push toward lower emissions and more flexible operating profiles. The previously announced Project Arrow, from which N2H evolved, was conceived with a battery-supported powertrain and integrated electronics to allow efficient cruising and extended silent running.

At the larger end, Angelique’s scale, at around 2,550 gross tons, positions Turquoise firmly among builders capable of delivering high-volume yachts with extensive technical spaces. Commentary accompanying the yacht’s launch notes that such projects require sophisticated project management, supplier networks and classification expertise, all of which depend on experienced leadership at the yard level. Observers link this to Akgül’s long familiarity with managing complex superyacht and sailing yacht builds.

Turquoise’s Role in Turkey’s Superyacht Ascendancy

Turkey’s emergence as a superyacht powerhouse forms the backdrop to Turquoise’s latest milestones. Recent analyses of the global superyacht order book rank Turkey among the top builder nations by both number of projects and total length under construction, placing it just behind Italy in project count. The country’s yards collectively report rising gross tonnage, reflecting a move into larger and more technically demanding builds.

In this context, Turquoise is often cited alongside other Turkish brands such as Bilgin, Alia, Mengi Yay and Numarine as part of a cohort that has leveraged competitive production costs, an established maritime supply chain and growing design sophistication. However, Turquoise’s delivery of Turkey’s largest yacht to date gives it a particular symbolic role, signaling to buyers that ultra-large, Northern Europe-style custom projects can now be sourced from Istanbul and the wider Turkish industrial base.

Analysts also connect the expansion of Turkey’s superyacht sector with broader economic indicators. Maritime trade studies point to record exports from the country’s ship and yacht-building industries, suggesting that high-value custom yachts are both beneficiaries and drivers of an increasingly outward-looking manufacturing ecosystem. For destinations across the Eastern Mediterranean, a stronger local building base may also reinforce the region’s pull as a year-round yachting and refit hub.

A New Chapter for a Repositioned Yard

Turquoise Yachts itself has undergone significant transformation in the past decade, shaped by new ownership and investment. Reports trace the yard’s evolution from its Proteksan-Turquoise origins through its acquisition by MB Holding Group, noting that majority stakeholder Mohammed Al Barwani consolidated full ownership in 2023. Commentators describe this as a foundation for the capital-intensive infrastructure and product-development program now unfolding.

Against that backdrop, Burak Akgül’s leadership is widely seen as an important stabilizing and strategic influence. With Angelique delivered, N2H representing a foray into hybrid propulsion and further large projects progressing through the pipeline, Turquoise appears intent on consolidating its position at the upper end of the custom-superyacht segment. For the broader Turkish industry, these launches underscore how far the country’s builders have moved from their roots in smaller series yachts to become credible contenders for some of the world’s most ambitious private vessels.

As new deliveries join the global fleet in the coming seasons, observers will be watching how Turquoise balances capacity, customization and technology. For now, the yard’s recent run of high-profile projects suggests that, under Akgül’s direction, Turkey’s superyacht aspirations have entered a distinctly more confident phase.

Turquoise Yachts: Past, Present and Future – Denison Yachting

Turquoise Yachts Delivers M/Y Angelique – Superyacht Guide

Turkey’s Superyacht Rise – Superyacht Guide

Global order book and superyacht market data – Boat International