Tugay: We Will Continue to Grow the Maritime Culture
One of Türkiye’s most prestigious maritime fairs, the MAST İzmir Boat Show – Boats, Equipment, and Marine Accessories Fair, has opened its doors at Fuar İzmir. More than 350 locally and internationally manufactured boats will be showcased at the fair until April 27. Speaking at the opening ceremony, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said: “As a city that lives intertwined with the sea, we will continue to grow the maritime culture, support our producers, and further integrate our city with the color blue.”
Hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and organized for the third time this year by İZFAŞ and ED Fuarcılık, the MAST İzmir Boat Show brings together world-renowned boat brands, Türkiye’s leading manufacturers, and marine equipment and accessory companies, uniting the maritime world in İzmir until April 27. The opening ceremony, hosted by Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay, was attended by Aegean Exporters’ Associations Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi, Aegean Region Chamber of Industry Chairman Ender Yorgancılar, İzmir Chamber of Commerce Assembly President Selami Özpoyraz, IMEAK Chamber of Shipping İzmir Branch Chairman Yusuf Öztürk, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Dr. Zafer Levent Yıldır, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Altan İnanç, Secretary General Ramazan Tezcan, Deputy Secretary General Prof. Dr. Pınar Okyay, İZFAŞ General Manager Tuğçe Cumalıoğlu, ED Fuarcılık Founding Partners Dilek Soydan and Emel Yılmaz, as well as chamber, association and NGO representatives, and sector professionals.
Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said: “Today, we are opening a fair that is of great importance to the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality family. This fair, though very young – only in its third edition – is already a strong symbol of our city’s bond with the sea. Each year it grows, and the number of participants increases. İzmir has been breathing with the sea for centuries, a port city for sailors, merchants, and seafarers throughout history. Our country, with its high-quality production, is one of the leading nations in the maritime industry worldwide. As a historic port city, we consider it our duty to stand by this success and support the sector representatives.”
Recalling his promise to bring İzmir closer to the sea when he took office, Tugay detailed the work being carried out. He emphasized that cleaning the Gulf is a priority: “This year alone, we allocated 9 billion TL from our budget for Gulf cleaning and infrastructure. On Monday, we will inaugurate the fourth phase of the Çiğli Wastewater Treatment Plant, which had seemed far from completion when we took office. With our own resources, we also launched the largest-scale dredging operation in the city’s history. Since December, two dredging vessels and carrier ships have been working continuously, and we will continue these efforts. I had also stated that we must establish several neighborhood marinas along the Gulf coast, and we are working toward that goal.”
He added: “İzmir’s fair tradition is a deep-rooted legacy engraved in Türkiye's memory. Beginning with our International Fair, this century-long heritage has shaped our city’s cultural and economic fabric. The MAST İzmir Boat Show is one of the new representatives of this tradition, and it will certainly grow stronger each year. Just like Marble İzmir, this fair is advancing toward becoming a permanent, high-value brand and a prestigious international event. As a city living in close connection with the sea, we will continue to grow the maritime culture, support our producers, and further integrate our city with its blue spirit.”
ED Fuarcılık Founding Partner Dilek Soydan expressed their happiness at reaching the third year of the fair: “This year, for the first time, we received the support of the superyacht community. Each year we build upon the last, and each year we organize a more successful fair,” she said, thanking İZFAŞ.
This year, the fair hosts 110 exhibitors, and the number of boats displayed has increased by 20% compared to the previous year. More than 350 boats, yachts, and marine vehicles are being showcased at the MAST İzmir Boat Show. The fair, attracting not only industry professionals but also sea enthusiasts and investors, offers opportunities for new collaborations, export connections, and sectoral exchanges of ideas, contributing both to the industry and the city’s economy.
Türkiye, ranking among the top three countries in global production and in high demand worldwide for its quality manufacturing, also aims to expand its business volume in the sector with this fair.
The MAST İzmir Boat Show will be open between 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM. The fair is open to the public, with an entrance fee of 300 TL.
