ARKAS VESSELS

Arkas began operations as a ship owner in 1996. As its initial venture in this field, Arkas formed a fleet consisting of three vessels with the purchase of the Spanish-built 580 TEU M/V ERKUT A (its first name was VIVIEN A) and M/V WANDA A from Singapore in 1996, and then the 569 TEU M/V DIANE A was added to the fleet in 1998. In 1999, the Arkas fleet was expanded with the addition of the twin vessels 1,022 TEU M/V BERNARD A, M/V ESRA A and the 540 TEU M/V CLAIRE A.

In 2000, new vessels were ordered from the Peene Werft shipyards in Germany in order to increase the fleet’s capacity and update it technologically. Then, in 2001, the newly constructed 1,208 TEU M/V DANIEL A and M/V YİĞİTCAN A was added to the fleet, followed by the 1,221 TEU M/V AURETTE A and M/V LUCIEN G. A in 2002. The Danish built 976 TEU MSC ŞEBNEM was also purchased in 2002 in partnership with MSC.

In 2004 Arkas continued making investments and expanded its fleet with the delivery of the newly constructed 1,221 TEU M/V VIVIEN A and M/V GABRIEL A, as well as the 450 TEU Italian built Ro-Ro container vessels M/V SAMI A and M/V ZERRAN A. In 2005, the newly constructed 1,529 TEU M/V MARGUERITE A and M/V HILDE A were added to the fleet.

The largest vessels in the Arkas Marine Fleet, the 1,604 TEU M/V CRISTINA A, M/V MARIO A, “M/V MICHEL A” and M/V JEAN PIERRE A joined the fleet with ceremonies conducted in Germany in 2007. When the Chinese built 1,145 TEU M/V ROZA A and M/V TOMRIZ A vessels were delivered in Taiwan, Arkas increased the number of its vessels carrying the Turkish flag on the high seas to 23. Arkas plans to have 27 vessels by the end of 2009.