Who owns Ares Shipyard? Kerim Kalafatoğlu and the leadership
Ares Shipyard is a family-controlled private company founded in 2006 in the Antalya Free Zone by Kerim Kalafatoğlu. Kalafatoğlu serves today as chairman of the board, while the executive side is run by CEO Oğuzhan Pehlivanlı, who took office in 2025. The company has no detailed public disclosure obligation regarding its share structure; what is known has been compiled from official statements and the independent press.
The founder: Kerim Kalafatoğlu
The company’s official corporate page states that the yard was founded in 2006 by Kerim Kalafatoğlu. According to the company’s Wikipedia article, the Kalafatoğlu family comes from a seafaring family from the Sürmene district of Trabzon. Kalafatoğlu appeared with the title of chairman in a 2022 interview with The Maritime Executive magazine. He was quoted with the same title in June 2026 by the independent Turkish Defense Hub site in its report on the launch of the ARES 18 SAR; these two independent sources confirm that his position is current.
In interviews given between 2016 and 2022 to publications including MSI Dergisi, Defence Turkey, The Business Year and Euronewsport, Kalafatoğlu said the company built its strategy on composite production, exports and integrated logistics support. His personal shareholding is not officially disclosed.
The executive level: CEO changes
The company announced in January 2019 that it had appointed Özgün Utku Alanç as CEO; Alanç gave an interview to The Maritime Executive under that title in 2020. In 2025 the role passed to Oğuzhan Pehlivanlı: MSI Dergisi refers to him as general manager, while Breaking Defense in February 2026 and Turkish Defense Hub in June 2026 quoted Pehlivanlı as CEO. In February 2026, Pehlivanlı announced that a company named ARES Naval would be established in Saudi Arabia with a local partner, with two facilities planned in Dammam and Jeddah. The exact date of and reason for the handover are not officially disclosed.
Verification table
| Name | Role | Source 1 | Source 2 (independent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerim Kalafatoğlu | Founder, chairman of the board | ares.global/about-ares | maritime-executive.com (2022); turkishdefensehub.com (06.2026) |
| Oğuzhan Pehlivanlı | CEO / general manager (2025-) | msidergisi.com | breakingdefense.com (02.2026); turkishdefensehub.com (06.2026) |
| Özgün Utku Alanç | CEO (2019 – ~2025) | ares.global (announcement of 24.01.2019) | maritime-executive.com (2020 interview) |
Company structure and financing
Ares Tersanecilik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. is a joint-stock company that is not publicly traded. The company describes itself as “entirely self-financed”; this wording is taken from the official corporate page and cannot be verified against independent audited financial data. Revenue, headcount and ownership stakes are not officially disclosed. The company’s growth trajectory can be traced through the Qatar and Oman export programs, the 122-boat domestic order and the ULAQ program.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Ares Shipyard?
The company is controlled by the Kalafatoğlu family, with founder Kerim Kalafatoğlu as chairman of the board. The share distribution is not officially disclosed.
Who is the current CEO?
Oğuzhan Pehlivanlı. Breaking Defense (February 2026) and Turkish Defense Hub (June 2026) quoted him with the title of CEO; MSI Dergisi uses the title of general manager.
Is the company publicly listed?
No. It is not traded on Borsa Istanbul and does not publish public financial statements.
Does Ares Shipyard have foreign shareholders?
No verified record of foreign equity participation could be found. The relationships with BMT and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems are at the level of design and program cooperation; no equity partnership has been disclosed.
What is ARES Naval?
It is the company that CEO Pehlivanlı announced in February 2026, planned to be established in Saudi Arabia with a local partner, with two facilities envisaged in Dammam and Jeddah. Its ownership structure is not officially disclosed.
Sources and verification note
Executive names were verified with at least two independent sources; for shareholding and date details that could not be verified, the “not disclosed” wording was used. Accessed: August 13, 2026.
- https://ares.global/about-ares
- https://maritime-executive.com/magazine/executive-interview-kerim-kalafatoglu-chairman-ares-shipyard
- https://www.turkishdefensehub.com/ares-shipyard-launches-first-ares-18-sar-boat-for-turkiyes-coastal-safety-authority-599
- https://breakingdefense.com/2026/02/turkish-shipbuilder-to-launch-ares-naval-in-saudi-arabia-with-two-shipyards-ceo/
- https://msidergisi.com/en/haberler/oguzhan-pehlivanli-general-manager-of-ares-shipyard
- https://ares.global/media-center/news/ares-shipyard-announces-new-chief-executive-officer-ceo
- https://ares.global/media-center/news/the-maritime-executive-general-overview-on-the-shipbuilding-industry-with-mr-alanc-ceo-of-ares-shipyard
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_Shipyard
