may 2011 no : 11 / 337
Arkas takes delivery of Turkey’s largest container vessel
Horace Dumitrescu, Kemal Aktaş, Diane Arcas Aktaş, Evrim Hakyemez, Ömür Hakyemez, Gülbeniz Arkas, Lucien Arkas, Bernard Arcas
A pioneering company in the shipping sector, Arkas took delivery of the Turkish flagged Gülbeniz A,
which is capable of transporting 2,500 TEU, in a ceremony at the Volkswerft Stralsund Shipyard in
Germany.
As the owner of the largest fleet of container vessels in Turkey, Arkas has raised the number of its container
vessels flying the Turkish flag to 26 by adding a new vessel named Gülbeniz A, thus increasing its container
transportation capacity to 36,830 TEU.
The ship’s delivery ceremony was held on Saturday, April 16th at the Volkswerft Stralsund Shipyards owned by
the Hegeman Yard Group. In remarks at the ceremony by shipyard manager Axel Schulz and Arkas Holding
Chairman Lucien Arkas, they both emphasized the healthy cooperation based on trust that has been developed
between the Hegeman Yard Group and Arkas over the last 12 years.
Arkas Holding Chairman Lucien Arkas said, “To date, the Hegemann Yard Group has built 18 vessels for Arkas.
We are very satisfied with the excellent workmanship, production quality and the technology used in all the
vessels. Volkswerft Stralsund shipyards are the largest indoor shipyards in Germany. The vessels are built in a
covered hangar without being affected by the weather and then launched with a slip. This has a significant effect
on the quality of the vessel in areas from the sheet metal to the paint.
Gülbeniz A will begin operations immediately, and due to its capacity, it will operate in Africa.
Mr. Arkas continued by saying, “I recommended that from here out the shipyard design custom vessels that meet
our needs. For example, if a vessel with the capacity to transport 500 reefers were built, I could order it."
The vessels in the Arkas Fleet are operated by Arkas' own
shipping company Arkas Line. Arkas Line provides regular line
transportation service in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
and transported 600,000 TEU just in the Mediterranean. When
necessary, Arkas Line also charters in vessels.
Turkey's largest container ship
Together with its twin sister Vivien A, Gülbeniz A is 220
meters (two football fields) long, making it the largest
container vessel in the Arkas fleet and in Turkey. When the
containers transported by this colossal ship are lined up end to
end they stretch 15 km. The Gülbeniz A is approximately 50
meters tall and can carry 35,000 tons of cargo. The vessel
holds 3,000 tons of fuel and can travel for 24 days without
refueling. When the vessel operates at top speed, it consumes
100 tons of fuel per day.
Lucien Arkas
Ar-Gü’s goal is to transport 1.5 million gross tons of freight
Ar-Gü is the Arkas company that handles rail transportation, and in 2010 it transported
1 million gross tons of freight. The company was quite successful in the first four months of this year and
has set a goal of 1.5 million gross tons for 2011.
After Ar-Gü begins taking delivery of the 100 Sg type railway cars it ordered from Tülomsaş last month, it will
increase its transportation capacity with a fleet of 620 railway cars of various types. Ar-Gü is planning to open new
lines this year as well.
Ar-Gü provides the most economic service to its customers by combining rail with other modes of transportation.
It transported 1 million gross tons in 2010 consisting mostly of minerals and port freight.
It transports import and export cargo between ports and domestic industrial areas using containers. Ar-Gü also
transports bulk cargo, loading iron and chrome ore from mines in the East onto containers and transporting it to
ports for export. It also transports imported coal from ports to cement factories in the East.
Ar-Gü offers its customers more affordable shipping service with its modern fleet of freight cars and equipment by
integrating railway transportation with overland and sea transportation.
www.argu.com.tr [email protected]
Arkas hosts European logisticians
UCS officials and Arkas executives
Unternehmer Colloquium Spedition (UCS), a group of CEOs and company owners from large German,
Swiss and Austria logistics companies, visited Arkas Holding in Izmir.
Unternehmer Colloquium Spedition – UCS periodically meets with politicians and scientists in Germany to
exchange ideas about the direction of the logistics sector.
The group also visits one country of strategic logistical importance every year as part of their research and this
year they chose Turkey.
Colloquium officials visited Arkas Holding during their travels in Turkey to learn about Arkas operations in the area
of logistics. UCS President Hans-Jörg Hager said that discussions with a company that was a leader in the
logistics sector, like Arkas Holding, brought added value to the group. He also said that they believed Turkey had
significant potential and thought it was important to invest in this country.
After opening remarks from Arkas Holding Chairman Lucien Arkas, Richard Pariente, President of Agency
Services, gave a detailed presentation. When the presentation ended, officials asked Arkas executives questions
about Turkey and Arkas.
A city where trade is a tradition: Genoa
Piazza de Ferrari, Genova
With its advanced industry focused on high-quality and high-tech products, this port city is an important
center of trade supplying consumer markets in Central Europe.
Together with Venice, Genoa was transformed into a maritime republic (Repubbliche Marinare) during the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Its trade, ship-building and banking sectors were able to support the
largest and most powerful sea-going fleet in the Mediterranean.
Old port in Genova
Today, Genoa continues the tradition of trade tline it has carried on for centuries as a significant trade center. The
old saying, “If he’s Genovese, he’s definitely a merchant” (Genuensis, ergo mercator) reflects the traditional
character of the city.
An important port city in the north of Italy, Genoa is the capital of the Liguria region and the province of Genoa.
Located on the southern tip of the Milan-Torino-Genoa industrial triangle, it is one of Italy’s most important
economic centers. The Milan-Torino-Genoa region accounts for 40% of the country’s GDP and a similar
percentage of its workforce. Per capita income is also higher than the Italian average.
One of the world’s oldest banks, the Bank of St. George, was established in 1407 in Genoa and played a
significant role in the economic development of the city. According to French historian Jules Michelet (17981874), Genoa was a bank more than it was a city. The record-keeping system used today in accounting was
developed during this time and shipping insurance was also introduced.
A historic tradition of trade
Known by the Ottomans as the Jenevizli, the people of Genoa wielded significant influence in ship-building and
maritime trade in the 12th century and had established trading colonies in the Aegean and the Black Seas. In
1204, the Genoese settled the shores of the Golden Horn, which was a concession obtained from the Byzantine
Empire, but the Venetians later wrested it away from them. In the 13th century, they settled in the Galata region.
In fact, they even spread outside the castle walls, providing security against the Venetians and the Ottomans.
They built Galata Tower (Christea Turris) during this time. They captured the island of Corsica and established
the Republic of Genoa.
The change in the global economy and trade routes tline accompanied the discovery of the New World by the
Genovese sailor Christopher Columbus in the 1490s, made the Mediterranean and consequently the Genovese
less important. Still, Genoa continued its tradition of trade and continued to attract the attention of greater powers.
Even though Genoa was under French rule from 1499 to 1528, the Genovese Admiral Andre Doria, who
commanded the Crusader Fleet, put an end to French rule. However, he was defeated by Barbaros Hayrettin
Pasha at the Battle of Preveza in 1538. Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Genoa, which had begun to decline in the
18th century, and established the Republic of Liguria. In 1805, Genoa was part of France for a short time, and
then joined Italy in 1860.
The region which is the capital of Genoa is a center for industry and tourism
The capital of the Liguria region, Genoa is a leading industrial center because of its location on the coast, its trade
relations and transit cargo traffic. Liguria has a developed textile industry while the food sector is a leader in
Genoa, which has the largest pasta factory in Italy and extensive olive groves as well. The city is also important
because of the Swiss and German petroleum pipeline terminals here.
With its traditional background, the region of Liguria is also a leader in the field of biological farming, and its
agricultural production is moving towards high quality products such as strawberries, wine and olive oil. In the
1950s and 1960s, steel was a major industry, but after the crisis in the 1980s, heavy industry was replaced by
high technology and industrial pursuits tline were not as harmful to the environment. As industry has focused on
superior quality and high-tech products, there has been growth in ship-building, electrical engineering, petrochemicals and the space industry. The headquarters of the Italian Institute of Technology are located in Genoa.
Ship-building is a developing sector tline includes yacht construction, maintenance, the construction of cruise
ships, and military shipyards.Gross Value Added per employee in the service sector is far above the national
average. This is due to the widespread use of high-technology in trade and tourism.
Italy’s largest port: The Port of Genoa
The Port of Genoa is important due to its location in the most industrialized region in the north of Italy and the fact
tline is serves the consumer markets of Central Europe.
The port is connected to the other cities of Italy and to France and Switzerland via highway and rail networks. The
autobahn runs parallel to the sea complementing the logistic infrastructure by connecting the ports of Genoa,
Nice, Savona and La Spezia.
The agricultural products in northern Italy are exported from the port of Genoa. It also provides the raw materials
and fuel needed by factories in the area. Located on seven million square meters on 20 kilometers of coast, the
port of Genoa contains terminals for container traffic, general cargo, bulk freight, liquid cargo, Ro-Ro, petroleum
products and passengers.
Italy’s largest port by tonnage, Genoa handles the second largest number of containers after Gioia Tauro, which
has a large amount of transit traffic. Every year, up to 8,000 ships call on the port, which has the infrastructure
required to service every type of vessel and cargo. In 2010, it handled approximately 52 million tons of general
cargo, an increase of 6.58% over the previous year, and 1.76 million TWU, an increase of 14.69%.
The historic Port of Ponte dei Mille features the most
modern infrastructure and facilities. It has a total of
18 docks, 5 of which serve cruise ships and 13 of
which serve ferryboats. The ferryboat routes have an
annual capacity for 4 million passengers, 1.5 million
cars and 250,000 heavy vehicles. In 2010, 3.6 million
passengers were served, an increase of 1% over the
previous year.
Arkas has provided service in Genoa since 2008
Arkas Italia began operations in the Italian city of
Genoa in 2008, handling agency operations for Arkas
Line. In 2011, Arkas Italia signed an agreement with
the Italian company Fratelli Cosulich SPA, which
provides for development of Arkas' shipping
operations in Italy and the opening of new container
lines from Italy to destinations in the Mediterranean.
Arkas Italia Genova employees
Arkas Anadolu Logistics conducts cabotage shipments from
Marmara to the Black Sea
Trabzon port
Arkas Anadolu Logistics began focusing on cabotage shipments from the Marmara region to the port of
Trabzon by opening an office in Trabzon at the beginning of 2011.
Arkas Anadolu Logistics provides manufacturers with the most affordable logistics services by integrating sea
(cabotage shipments) with overland shipments, transporting cabotage freight between Marport in Istanbul and the
port of Trabzon with regular weekly service. Products manufactured in Istanbul and the surrounding provinces
destined for the Eastern Black Sea or Eastern Anatolia are loaded at Marport, unloaded at the port of Trabzon
and then transported inland via highway transportation. Using sea transportation to move freight to the desired
port in a single shipment, especially for high tonnage freight which would take several days and 20-30 vehicles to
transport overland, is not only cost-effective, but it also helps protect the environment. In addition to the costsavings, products can be shipped with containers to their final destination without being damaged.
In its logistics services, Arkas Anadolu Logistics aims to provide its customers with the most reliable and
economic door-to-door transportation solutions as it continues cabotage shipments between ports in the Sea of
Marmara, the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean.
Regular weekly cabotage shipments are made with two vessels operated by Arkas Line on an Istanbul-KocaeliBursa-Izmir-Mersin-Gazimagusa route.
Arkas Automotive and Volcar sold 13,555 automobiles in the
last 12 months
Arkas Automotive and Volcar increased their market share to 1.4%, selling 11,745 new cars and 1,810
second hand cars in the last 12 months.
With 23 sales and service points at 16 locations in Izmir, Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa and Denizli offering seven
brands of passenger automobiles - Chevrolet, Citroën, Ford, Mazda, Opel, Peugot and Volvo – and representing
Renault Trucks in the heavy commercial class, Arkas Automotive maintains its growth objective in the sector.
In the general evaluation meeting held by Arkas Automotive and Volcar General Manager Önder Cider, he said,
“In 2010, our goal was to increase our market share to 1.4% and we have accomplished this. We have cut the
time frame for achieving 2.5% of the market share, which we outlined in our five-year plan, to 3 years.
We will increase our market share even faster than we planned with the six sales and service locations we will
open in a new area of Ankara this year. We plan to add two new brands to the companies we represent. We are
growing in every brand. We have grown in the last 12 months without making investments due solely to efficiency.
We are number one in sales of Volvo and Citroën passenger cars. Fifty percent of the Volvo cars sold in Turkey
are sold by Arkas Automotive and Volcar. We have also increased our market share in the Peugeot brand by 1%.
The brand that we sell the most of here at Arkas Automotive and Volcar is Opel.”
Investment in technological infrastructure in parallel with developments in e-business
Cider said, “One of the areas of investment we are focusing on this year is technology. We have established a
separate department called e-business because online shopping has become so widespread. We sell 40 vehicles
a months via the registrations that come to us over the internet. One of our projects is the preparation of individual
micro-sites. Everyone who purchases an automobile from Arkas Automotive will be able to see information, such
as the maintenance history of their vehicle, the service monitoring system, and campaign communications on the
special micro-site. The sites will be updated regularly, as a reflection of our principle of transparency in customer
service. This way the owner of the vehicle will have a sort of vehicle registration. We are preparing an Arkas
Automotive Application custom-designed for the advanced technological communication devices of our age, such
as Blackberry and iPhone.
We will offer speed to our customers by taking advantage of technology because today time is critical for our
clients.”
www.arkasotomotiv.com.tr [email protected]
The sultan of the seas, the Commander-in-Chief of the Levant:
Turgut Reis
Illustration of the conquest by Ottoman's
Turgut Reis played an important role in securing Ottoman supremacy in the Mediterranean with his keen
wit and maneuvering capabilities.
Known in history as Dragut among the Christian nations of the Mediterranean, Turgut Reis was born in 1485 in
Muğla Menteşe. He was trained as a bombardier in the Ottoman Army, which he joined at the age of 12. Turgut
Reis later joined the fleet of Sinan Reis in Alexandria and was promoted to the rank of galiot captain for his
success in striking enemy ships. He set himself a course between Venice and the Aegean islands, capturing
numerous castles and islands.
In 1520, he joined the fleet of Admiral in Chief Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha and began to establish hegemony
between Spain and Italy. In 1538 at the Sea Battle of Preveza when military mastery of the Mediterranean passed
to the Ottomans, he played an important role in the victory under the command of Barbaros.
The Crusader Fleet under the command of Andrea Doria suffered a huge defeat at Preveza Castle in the Adriatic
Sea.
Governor of Djerba Island
When Sinan Reis, the governor of Djerba Island, was made commander of the Ottoman Fleet in the Red Sea
towards the end of 1539, Turgut Reis was made governor of the island.
The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V commissioned Andrea Doria to capture Turgut Reis, who was terrorizing the
region with his raids on the shores of Spain and Sicily. Even though Andrea Doria pursued him with 81 ships,
Turgut Reis bombarded the ports of Corsica in the Tyrrhenian Sea. While repairing his ships near Girolata, he
was attacked by the combined forces of Giannettino Doria, Giorgio Doria and Gentile Virginio Orsini and taken
captive. After almost four years as a galley slave, he was imprisoned in Genoa.
The ransom offers made by Barbaros to set Turgut Reis free were rejected. When Barbaros returned from France
in 1544 after making an Ottoman-French alliance against the Spanish, he blockaded Genoa with 210 ships, after
which Andrea Doria set Turgut Reis free for 3,500 gold ducats. For two years, Turgut Reis attacked the coasts of
Corsica, Sicily and the Italian Riviera. He captured a number of areas on the shores of Tunisia and in the Gulf of
La Spezia before setting sail for Malta. In 1546, Charles V commission Andrea Doria with the task of removing
Turgut Reis from Malta. Doria placed his fleet at Favignana Island, but they never met each other. Grand Vizier
Rüstem Pasha viewed Turgut Reis as a rival to his brother Sinan Pasha’s promotion to Admiral in Chief. For this
reason, Turgut Reis was not appointed as Admiral in Chief when Barbaros died in 1546.
Turgut moves his ships overland on skids at Djerba
The Genovese, Venetian and Spanish fleets which were defeated by Turgut Reis at every encounter finally made
an alliance and trapped Turgut Reis’ fleet of 20 ships with 150 vessels in the Channel of Cantera on the island of
Djerba while he was doing repairs. While the Crusader Fleet blockaded the entrance to the port and waited for
Turgut Reis to surrender, it received unexpected news from Sicily. Because the blockade did not encompass all
four sides of the island, Turgut Reis had pulled his ships on greased skids overland and launched them on the
other side of the island, and then he captured the nobles who had come to see him taken prisoner as well as their
ships.
The conquest of Tripoli
Faced with the intrigues of the Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha, Turgut Reis roamed freely in the Mediterranean for
almost two years. Süleiman the Magnificent commissioned Turgut Reis to conquer Tripoli. In spite of the fact that
he conquered Tripoli in 1551 and after his success at sea and on land, Sinan Pasha made one of his own men,
Ağa Murat, the governor of Tripoli. Therefore, Turgut Reis left the Ottoman Fleet and headed west with pirate
ships. However, the fleet left the Admiral in Chief alone and followed Turgut Reis.
When Turgut Reis was unable to persuade the captains to return, he journeyed to Istanbul with the fleet. In spite
of the fact that Süleiman had given him the Governorship of Tripoli, Turgut Reis was again awarded the Karlıeli
Provincial Governorship as a result of the lies of Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha.
Turgut Reis stopped the Sultan on his way to Edirne and reminded him of his promise to give him Tripoli, upon
which Süleiman elevated him to the rank of pasha and made him the Governor of Tripoli again. Turgut Reis
played an important role in the city’s transformation into one of the pearls of the north African coast.
Siege of Malta
In the 11th century, the Crusader Armies organized raids on Jerusalem. A charity organization for the wounded
made up of merchants over time began to include armed members of religious orders including knights and
priests. When this religious order, known as the Knights of St. John, was driven from Jerusalem, it settled in
Cyprus, Rhodes and finally Malta.
They struck pilgrimage and trade routes, captured Ottoman ships and took many prisoners, including the
governor of Alexandria. When the knights captured twenty ships equipped with cannon under the command of
Bayramoğlu Reis on his way to Naples to exchange for valuable goods, and killed over two hundred of the
Janissaries on the ships, Süleiman commissioned Admiral in Chief Piyale Pasha and Mustafa Pasha to lead the
ground assault. He commanded that the orders of Turgut Reis be heeded as he knew the Island of Malta very
well. An Ottoman Fleet consisting of 30,000 soldiers and 180 pieces of artillery reached Malta on May 18, 1565.
Impenetrable walls are breached
Piyale Pasha preferred an attack on the castles after the city had been taken while Serdar Mustapha Pasha
wanted to attack Saint Elmo Castle without waiting for Turgut Reis’s orders. Turgut Reis reached the castle on the
seventh day of the siege when the Ottoman troops were beginning to become dispirited. Turgut Reis believed that
the castles of Saint Elmo and Saint Michael could not keep up their defense without aid from the city, and so the
priority was to capture the city. Breaches were opened by striking the foundation of the castles with cannon fire.
Bridges, known as “Dragut’s Bridge”, were built over the moats that surrounded the castles using the masts from
the galiots allowing the Janissaries to enter the castle. When reinforcements arrived from nearby Saint Angelo
Castle, he surrounded Saint Elmo with cannons in a total siege. He began to place cannons around Saint Angelo
as well, but was wounded by fire from the castle. He died on June 23, 1565 after hearing that Saint Elmo Castle
had been captured. He was taken back to Tripoli in his own galiot and interred in a tomb in the Turgut Pasha
Mosque.
Sources:
* www.denizmuzeleri.tsk.tr
* www.bugun.com.tr
* www.wikipedia.com
* www.haberekspres.com
* We would like to thank the Turgut Reis Municipality for the painting of Turgut Reis.
Navigator provides CRM consultancy to Teksan Generator
Navigator provides Teksan with consultancy regarding the use of SAP ERP and CRM systems for
handling sales, marketing, after-sales support and rental as well as periodic maintenance and repair
processes for its products.
Teksan Generator provides customers in more than 75 countries with generator products, technology and service.
Navigator implements SAP ERP and CRM solutions as part of the consultation provided to Teksan so that the
company can conduct existing business processes with an integrated system and obtain reliable reports.
The project was implemented with the installation of two new modules, the SAP CRM sales module and the
service module, so that technical services could be handled with mobile applications and inventory tracking could
be conducted with depot automation. The sales module will make it possible to monitor sales opportunities,
customer visits, and the process from proposal to sales contract in a manner that is integrated with ERP.
At the conclusion of the project that began in January 2011 and is scheduled for completion in nine months, all of
the business process will be standardized and realized on a single system. A common terminology will be created
for use by Teksan employees. The time devoted to invoicing procedures and checking technical services in
different regions will be reduced as will the risk of errors since the process will be performed instantaneously.
In brief...
ADDRESS CHANGES
After conducting operations in Italy since 2008, Arkas
Italia has moved its offices to a new address.
Arkas Italia:
Ponte Morosini, 59/3 16126
Genova, Italy
Tel: (0039) 010 8463711
Fax: (0039) 010 846
Arkas Bulgaria conducts operations in Varna and
Sophia and its Varna office has moved to a new
address.
Arkas Bulgaria Varna Address:
54, Osmi Primorski Polk Blvd Floor 3, Office 10 9000
Varna, Bulgaria
Tel: (00359) 52 685520
Fax: (00359) 52 602285
[email protected]
Volvo enthusiasts in Izmir meet the S60 and V60 on the Ülkü
Racetrack
With one showroom in Istanbul and two showrooms in Izmir,
Volcar organized an interesting activity to introduce the residents
of Izmir to the new Volvo S60 and V60. The Volvo Extreme Izmir
S60 and V60 Test Drive event was well attended at the Ülkü
Racetrack. At least 200 Volvo enthusiasts from Izmir had an
opportunity to test the technological innovations of the wild S60
and V60 at various stations while experiencing the dynamic
character of the new models by taking laps on the track.
Technological innovations like the Adaptive Cruise Control,
Automatic Braking Pedestrian Sensor and Safety in the City
created a buzz. Participants had an opportunity to push the limits
of its road handling on the difficult turns as they took laps around
the Izmir Ülkü Racetrack. In addition to the S60 and V60, they
also test drove prestigious Volvo models like the C30, S80 and
XC60.