Turkey is among the world's leading superyacht-building countries, with production concentrated in a few regions. The information below comes from the yards' own publications and industry sources; each card names its source. Capacity figures not stated in a source are not given.
Last checked: September 2026. Facility and capacity information changes over time; ask the yard for current figures in writing at quote stage.
Main regions
- Antalya Free Zone
- The main superyacht-building hub; according to a 2021 industry source it accounted for around 80% of Turkish superyacht production. Free-zone tax advantages matter to foreign owners.
- Istanbul, Tuzla
- The shipyards district; yacht, commercial and refit facilities side by side.
- Yalova
- Large hull and superstructure fabrication; some yards build hulls here and complete outfitting in Istanbul.
- Bodrum, Bozburun and Marmaris
- The home of traditional wooden gulet building; mostly small family-run yards.
Example yards
Alia Yachts
- Region
- Antalya Free Zone
- Highlights
- Founded in 2008; full and semi-custom superyachts.
About 30,000 m² of facilities; build halls 90 m long and 22 m high.
Steel, aluminium and composite. - Source
- superyachtpartners.com · superyachtnews.com (2020)
Bilgin Yachts
- Region
- Istanbul and Yalova
- Highlights
- Fully custom yachts of 50-120 m.
Four facilities totalling 79,450 m²; hull and superstructure in Yalova, outfitting in Istanbul.
The Yalova facility is 40,000 m², with five megayacht projects at a time. - Source
- superyachttimes.com · arconyachts.com
Mengi Yay Yachts
- Region
- Istanbul, Tuzla
- Highlights
- Since 1964.
A 19,000 m² facility in Tuzla.
Composite, steel and aluminium yachts. - Source
- denisonyachtsales.com (2025) · mengiyay.com
Su Marine Yachts
- Region
- Istanbul, Tuzla
- Highlights
- An 8,000 m² facility with four large build areas; interior, stainless and paint shops.
Cold-moulded wood-epoxy, composite, steel and aluminium. - Source
- wikipedia.org
What sets the build time?
A single "typical time" would mislead; duration varies with length, material, full or semi-custom design, interior scope and class supervision. As one example, the 55 m steel and aluminium Al Waab was reported built at Alia Yachts on a 24-month schedule (Robb Report, 2021). Your project's schedule, with its stages, belongs in the contract.
Choosing a yard
- Similar work. Delivered boats of the same size and material; talk to their owners if possible.
- Facilities. Hall length and height, crane and launch capacity; whether your project fits.
- People. In-house workshops and subcontractors; where the interior is made.
- Order book. How many projects run at once; the capacity left for yours.
- Contract. Staged payments, security and the right to independent supervision.
What to look at on a yard visit
- Shop layout, cleanliness and temperature-humidity control in the lamination area.
- Workmanship on boats under construction and records of check points.
- The materials store and storage conditions.
- The yard's own design team, or the designers it works with.
- A chance to talk to the owner of a delivered reference boat.
The best way to judge a yard is to look at boats under construction rather than finished ones; that is where you see how areas that will be hidden are handled.
Before signing, the specification and quote are reviewed independently: stage payments tied to check points, advance-payment guarantee and when title passes. How well the yard kept to delivery dates on earlier builds is asked of reference owners.
A yard that answers these questions openly, and lets you walk its shop floor unannounced, is usually one that will communicate the same way during the build.
That openness is worth a great deal.