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Begüm Yachting participated in a boat show for the first time in Turkey and introduced the 14-metre motor yacht of Mercedes Benz, with which it signed a representation agreement in December. The first hull of the model named Arrow 460, which was brought to Turkey with the limited edition production approach, was welcomed with interest at the Bosphorus Boat Show. Begüm Doğulu, the owner of the company, was also pleased with the interest Begüm Yachting received with the title of Turkey's Mercedes.

Could you tell us about the important highlights of your company since the day you founded it?
I was born in 1968 in Izmir. After graduating from the Private Turkish College, I studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Dokuz Eylül and then went to England. At that time, I had no relation with yachting and did not receive any training. I came to Turkey during the summer holidays. I met Gino Pardo from Gino Yachting. He insisted that I should not go to England, that he would teach me yachting and that it would be very good for me if I stayed. I was young, I liked it, I accepted. I had the chance to work with such a doyen for five years. He really treated me like his son. He was very interested and taught me the business. Then, in the following years, I told him that I wanted to leave in an amicable way and that I would try my own luck. We parted ways in a very good way. In '97, I opened my Kusadasi based agency under the name Begüm Yachting, which provides service services. As my customer potential increased over the years, we opened our own offices in Bodrum, Marmaris, Göcek, Antalya and Istanbul, almost all Turkish coasts, and started to serve megayachts coming from abroad.

After that, we saw a deficit in the provisions business. Because the customer profile we were serving started to be dissatisfied with the provisions they received. So I opened a provisioning company called Turkey Provision Services and now we supply all over Turkey with our own vehicles and warehouses. 

In 2005, we established our shipyard called Barka Shipyard. I built five boats over 40 metres and exported them abroad. We also carried out the maintenance and repair of 60 foreign-flagged motor yachts over 50 metres. This year, our shipyard and our Begüm Yachting company were awarded the ninth and tenth prizes in the ranking of the Turkish Exporters Assembly.

Then, since we had a shortage of luxury vehicles in the south, we started to provide limousine service with the vehicles we acquired. Our last project is to pick up our customers from the airport with the Begum Air seaplane.
we can take them to their boats. We even offer service to our customers who want daily transport.

Finally, we have taken the distributorship of Mercedes Benz motor yachts in Turkey and this is the reason why we are at the fair today. It is a beautiful boat, completely designed as an S class vehicle and equipped with the latest technology. It is a first in Turkey and a limited production speedboat in the world. One of this boat was produced for each country. 

So, will there be more when there is demand? 
Of course there will be more. But there will not be too many at the same time in every country. Because they don't want it to fall into second-hand very quickly, and they want to keep the prices at a certain standard.

How did you decide to become the representative of this brand? How did Mercedes Benz yachts attract your attention?
I can't say they didn't attract my attention... Yes, we are involved in many areas of yachting. However, until today, I have been doing this business for 30 years, but I never thought of becoming a distributor, I never tried. Last year, my company received a phone call, "We are looking for Mercedes Benz motor yachts from Monaco. We want to give distributorship". I was surprised, and then the correspondence started. And I went to Monaco, Port
We visited the boats at Hercules and went on trial cruises. When I saw that they were serious, I asked them, "I have never bought and sold boats before, I have no such experience. Why did you choose me?" Their answer was very interesting: "We get references from four different sources when giving distributorships. We ask 'Which yacht company? Four out of four answered 'Begüm Yachting'. Mercedes is a brand based on trust. Begüm Yachting is the Mercedes of Turkey," they said. So we made the contract in autumn. On 13 December, we held a launch night at Esma Sultan Mansion with the participation of Mercedes representatives. We also started the presentation at the fair. I hope it will be beneficial for our country.

What are the most striking aspects of the boat for you?
First of all, it is sporty and represents elegance, power and dynamism at the same time. Sea and water sports are predominantly a male interest. Why would someone who owns a 50-60 metre motor yacht buy one? These types of vehicles are called 'big
'boy toy', you know. When he gets on this boat, he says 'I am strong, I am dynamic', in a way this boat represents him. I believe that there are customers who will buy this boat by identifying it with themselves.

Have you participated in a fair in Turkey before? What kind of expectations do you have from this fair?
This is our first exhibition in Turkey. I think it will go very well. Do you know what I am most happy about rather than how many people come here or how many people look at the yacht? I have been giving interviews one after the other all day since 9:30 a.m. What does that mean? It means that all the press is here. It means the world is here for me. Now you will write about it. Even if people don't come, those sitting at home will be aware of what's going on here.
he hears about it. They see your news, they look at the boat... What is valuable for me is that the press is also here. 

What kind of an organisation do you think for after sales service?
We organise the after-sales service. We have an office in Tarabya in Istanbul, as well as in Bodrum and Göcek. Our own offices are located in marinas wherever sales can be made. We can exhibit the boat there.

Do you own a boat? Do you have the opportunity to go out to sea?
I have had my captain's licence since I was 22 years old. I sail sailboats and motor yachts myself. I also entered BAYK races and came second as a skipper. I am currently building a 35 metre motor yacht to set an example. I am building a Turkish flagged and commercial motor yacht. I will give it to charter because the thing that saddens me the most is that unfortunately, in our country, Turkish flagged commercial yachts are very rare and this makes me very sad. While every country abroad has its own fleet, my country does not have a fleet. This leaves us behind in maritime. This also touches my heart. This is all I can afford for now. I hope to sell this one and make it 45 metres.

Why do you think there is no such fleet?
It does not exist because nobody invests. Unfortunately, our people generally prefer to own boats with foreign flags. For some reason now. However, you can go anywhere in the world with a Turkish flagged boat. After being classed, if your boat is really class compliant and there is no deficiency in your certificates. The proliferation of Turkish flagged boats will provide a very positive return to our economy. Why do I believe this? Because at first, you will cut the bill here. You will pay 25% corporate tax, you will pay 20% VAT and you have to employ Turkish personnel. Both in terms of employment and the country's income and
It is very useful in terms of economy. I am building this boat in RINA charter class. They said, "The Ministry does not accept our motor yacht standards. The boat you will build now will not be like a motor yacht in European standards, there are many things that the ministry does not approve, and since you cannot do them, you will have a motor yacht like a ship." So I asked RINA for the items in question. I requested exemption from them one by one, explaining the reasons. The Ministry accepted them all. So it hasn't been tried! That's why we usually say "No way" and give up. Why? "That's what they say." That's not the case, I tried it. 

Could you also tell us about your goals as Begüm Yachting?
I think I will be comfortable if I build a marina in the south.

Mercedes Benz Arrow 460 GT Silver Arrows Marine's Arrow 460 GT model is adapted from the classic car figure. It offers a new perspective on function and aesthetics with materials such as eucalyptus wood, nubuck leather and synthetic wicker texture. It is introduced with the words 'superyacht comfort at 14 metres'. Instead of the divided spaces customary in yachts, it has a spacious space for 10 people that can be equipped with a bed or a dining table if desired. The sunbathing area, which creates a terrace atmosphere at sea, and the hydraulic swimming platform can also accommodate a large group outside. 

Full length: 14,17 metres
En: 3.97 metres
Water cut: 0.98 metres
www.begumyachting.com