Besiktas Shipping, the Turkish tanker owner led by Yavuz Kalkavan, has acquired three MR product/chemical tankers from NYSE-listed Scorpio Tankers in a transaction valued at $105 million, taking half of a six-ship package Scorpio had put on the market.
The vessels involved are the 49,000 dwt sister ships STI Aqua, STI Regina and STI Opera. The first two units are fitted with scrubbers and were built by SPP Shipbuilding, while the third was constructed at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.
Combined with Amasya, Antalya and Van – three additional units the company added to its colours in January 2026 – the latest acquisitions bring the total invested across the most recent six-ship buying spree to roughly $200 million. Besiktas Shipping now controls 39 vessels.
Thirty-five ships in the fleet are MR or smaller product and chemical tankers. The balance is made up of two Capesize bulk carriers, one containership and one ethylene carrier.
Turkish owners' growing appetite for tonnage divested by listed US and European tanker majors is being closely watched as a signal of the structural shift on global clean petroleum product trades. Besiktas Shipping's latest moves underline the expanded weight of Türkiye-based shipping capital in the international product tanker space.
Key Takeaways:
1. Besiktas Shipping paid $105M for half of a six-ship package divested by Scorpio Tankers.
2. The 49,000 dwt sister ships STI Aqua, STI Regina and STI Opera are MR product/chemical tankers.
3. The first two are fitted with scrubbers; the third was built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.
4. Combined with Amasya, Antalya and Van bought in January 2026, the latest six-ship spree totals about $200M.
5. Besiktas Shipping now controls 39 vessels, dominated by 35 MR or smaller product and chemical tankers.
