Deniz Kılavuzluk A.Ş. (DEKAŞ) and Anadolu Kılavuzluk A.Ş. (ANKAŞ), long associated together in the Turkish maritime sector, this time met not at the same table but in the same lawsuit file. The direct bankruptcy case filed at the Istanbul Anadolu 1st Civil Court of First Instance for Commercial Matters is being conducted on a receivable of approximately 1 billion 323 million TL.
The process leading to the bankruptcy request
At the foundation of the lawsuit file is a receivable case filed against DEKAŞ and ANKAŞ. After the decision became final, enforcement proceedings were initiated through the Enforcement Directorate. As the process continued, it was learned that the two companies, facing the risk of bankruptcy, presented bank guarantee letters amounting to 1 billion 323 million TL.
It is stated that lawsuits with a request for bankruptcy were filed for both companies, and the lawsuits are still ongoing. It was also reported that the petition submitted by DEKAŞ to the court included the statement that “they are facing the risk of bankruptcy.”
Tense moments at the general assembly
According to information obtained, DEKAŞ’s general assembly on September 26, 2025, passed more as an expression of the tension within the company than as a meeting. According to allegations reflected in the meeting minutes, serious disagreements occurred among the board members; some members were dismissed, and some resigned.
It is alleged that one shareholder at the meeting said, “Thank God the bankruptcy request came, so the lady lawyer returned the 90 million TL she received from the company.” It is claimed that another partner summarized the situation with the words, “Due to shortsighted management, the company has at most six months left.”
These debates have reignited long-standing issues in the sector: conflicts among privileged shareholders, inconsistencies in decision-making processes, and allegations of a lack of financial discipline.
A precedent-setting case for the sector
According to court records, the receivable subject to the bankruptcy request and the submitted guarantees are proceeding entirely based on official documents. Legal circles state that due to the size of the case and the parties involved, the process is of a nature that could set a precedent in the maritime sector.
A historic threshold in pilotage
In recent years, regulations concerning pilotage services, the changing tender system, and restructurings among companies had shifted the balances in the sector. The collaborations and service permits made during the 2018-2019 period led to a controversial process with accompanying lawsuits. The regulations, which moved to a different dimension with the new law and regulation issued in 2023, created new balances in the sector.
However, it is argued that the cancellation and stay of execution lawsuits filed against the current regulations have disrupted the ongoing tender processes and that this situation increases public loss.
The beginning of a new era
The fact that DEKAŞ and ANKAŞ, once referred to as two arms of the same structure, are now facing each other in a bankruptcy lawsuit is not just a commercial dispute; it is evaluated as the revelation of interest conflicts that have accumulated over the years.
The lawsuit has not yet concluded. However, according to sector representatives, this process could be the beginning of a new era where the concepts of power, trust, and responsibility in pilotage services will be redefined.
7DENIZ
