To talk about Lucien Arkas through his achievements on the path from ship agency to shipowning is to talk about a legend. Likewise, to talk about Lucien Arkas through his efforts and achievements in the fields of culture, art, and history is the continuation of a legend, a life beyond the ordinary, and it should be crowned with his successes and remembered as an example.
Who is Lucien Arkas
Starting with the Pagy origins of the Arkas family; kinship ties with the Pharon, Aliotti, Dutilh, and Missir families are also observed. Indeed, research on the Pharaon Family provides information about the lives of various members of the Pharon family known in Trieste, Lebanon, France, Egypt, and Turkey. From this family, Joseph and Antoine Faraon (Pharon) lead us to the Pharon family living in Turkey. The surname of some Pharon’s, who were a well-known family in 19th Century Izmir, provides the information that their grandfather resided, like many Venetian merchants, and came from Venice to Izmir. Among them is Antoine Pharaon, who was the senior clerk of the Ottoman Bank in Beirut at its establishment, later became the bank’s first manager in Damascus, and is considered the founder of the Ottoman Bank in Damascus. He passed away and left no children behind. Antoine Pharaon had two sons and six daughters; the first of these, Alexandrine, belonged to the Balladur, Edouard family. Another, Sister Josephine (following the tradition of these nuns who changed their names when changing convents, Sister Mélanie), lived as a Nun in Izmir and Naples and passed away in Naples at the beginning of this century. The third daughter, Hélène Pharaon, married the French merchant François Roboly, who had settled in Izmir Bornova; Marie Pharaon married Antoine Franceschi, who was descended from the Sicilian consul lineage and had settled in Izmir in the 18th Century; and the fifth, Doudou Pharaon, married the French merchant Charles Pagy, who exported products, especially cotton, from the Aegean region in Izmir and was among the leading exporters in Izmir.
Lucien Arkas has said; My mother was Wanda Pagy (born 1910) and my father (born 1902) was Lucien Gabriel Arcas. But my mother and father were third cousins.
My paternal grandmother Euphrasie Pagy was the daughter of Arnold Pagy.
The first name in the family tree is Joseph Pagy, born 1650, and his wife Madeleine Feris, born 1660. From this marriage, they had a male child whom they named Gabriel Pagy.
The family’s in-laws are Pierre Magnan, born 1661, and his wife Françoise Scale, born 1682. The daughter of this family, Jean Magnan, born 1690, married Gabriel Pagy.
The first Pagy to come from Marseille to Izmir, who considered Bornova his second homeland and was awarded the Légion d’honneur, was Gabriel Pagy (1675-1774). He emigrated from Marseille to Izmir at age 36 in 1711, started trading, and passed away in Izmir at age 99. His wife was Elisabeth “Henrietta” Seybald, born 1803 (d.1877). His in-laws were Antoine Faraon(Pharon), born 1790, and his wife Marguerite Missir, born 1793. The same lineage continues today, and in 2011, 300 years of being from Izmir was celebrated.
Charles Nicolas Pagy (d.1875), son of Pierre Gabriel Pagy and Elisabeth Henriette Seybald Pagy, born 1829, married Marie “Dudu” Pharon, the daughter of the Pharon family.
Charles Nicolas Pagy and Marie Pharon had 12 children, 2 boys and 9 girls, besides Pierre Charles Marie Pagy; (Their children were – Pierre Marie “Lucien” Pagy (1854- 1921), Marie Marguerite Henriette Pagy (1856-1858), Marie “Blanche” Elisabeth Pagy (1857-..), Jenny Jeanne Marie (1858-1901), Joséphine Marie “Louise” (1860-1941), Marie Joséphine (1861-..), Hélène Marie Joséphine (1862-1928), Marie Marguerite (1864-..), Marie Emilie (1867-..). Augusta Pagy, born in Bornova, died in 1936.
The family’s last child, Pierre Charles Marie Pagy, was born on Thursday, October 15, 1868, in Bornova. He was baptized on Sunday, November 1, 1868. He died on Saturday, January 28, 1939, in Bornova at the age of 70.
Pierre Charles Marie Pagy married Margherita Maria Guiseppina Aliotti from the Aliotti family on Wednesday, April 26, 1899, in Izmir. He died on January 28, 1939, in Bornova. Their daughter, born in Bornova, is Marguerite Maraya Joséphine Pagy.
Pierre Charles Nicolas Jean Marie Pagy, born in Bornova in 1901, died in 1902. They had two more sons: Fernand Pierre Pagy in 1903 and Raymond Pierre in 1905. Pierre Marie Charles, born in 1908, died the same year. The family’s last child, their youngest daughter, is Wanda Marguerite, born in 1910 (d.1993).
The story begins like this
I was reviewing my file on Thomas Bowen Rees from Buca, Izmir. Among the photographs was a picture of an envelope.. At first, it didn’t catch my attention much, and then I clicked on it. A message sent by Mr. Lucien Arkas 15 years ago appeared before me… I was astonished.
How had this message ended up in the Thomas Bowen Rees file 15 years later!
In the file referencing Mr. Lucien Arkas’s message, Ms. Cinzia Brigiotti first said:
May 4, 2010
Good day Mr. Osman,
I hope you are well.
Mr. Arkas is in Board meetings today, so I am writing to you.
We were wondering where you found this photograph of the Pagy family, does the person you found it from have any other photographs as well?
Thank you in advance for your response.
Best regards,
Cinzia Braggiotti
From: Lucien ARKAS
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010
10:39 AM
To: ‘[emailprotected]’
Subject: FW: PHOTOGRAPH
Importance: High
Dear Mr. Osman,
Thank you very much for your email dated May 3.
Your book is very valuable, your effort was not in vain, congratulations.
One of the pictures you kindly sent me is a photograph of my grandfather’s family and is very precious to me, however, it came out blurry from the email; if you could send it to me, I would like to have a clear copy made and return it to you.
The explanation of the written names:
To describe and commemorate the Pagy family, my uncle.
– The signature at the back: Pierre Pagy – my grandfather (my mother’s father)
– Augusta Pagy – Pierre Pagy’s older sister
– Jeanne Dutilh – Sister of Maurice Dutilh (aunt of Mr. Hendrik Dutilh). She became a nun at Notre Dame de Sion and died in Pangaltı. She was my guardian when I was in high school.
– Lucien Pagy – Pierre’s older brother
– Marie Pagy – Pierre’s older sister
– Maurice Dutilh – Grandfather of Mr. Hendrik Dutilh
– Henri Denotovich – Family doctor and husband of Blanche Pagy (Pierre’s older sister)
So you understand, it is a photograph of my mother’s family.
Pierre Pagy was born in Bornova in 1868 and died in Bornova in 1939.
He is my maternal grandfather.
He was a French citizen.
I would be very pleased if I could have the photograph taken, I will return it exactly.
With my best regards,
Lucien Arkas
Note: My mother Wanda Pagy (born 1910) married my father Lucien Gabriel Arcas (born 1902), but they were third cousins.
My grandmother was also Euphrasie Pagy, the daughter of Arnold Pagy.
The first Pagy to arrive: Gabriel Pagy 1675-1774.
He emigrated from Marseille to Izmir in 1711 at the age of 36, started trading and
died in Izmir at the age of 99.
The same lineage continues today and in 2011 we will celebrate our 300 years in Izmir.
The mentioned photograph was in the work I sent to Mr. Lucien Arkas, but I could not find in which of my works this photograph was.
I opened page 191 of C.V. of the History of Turkish Shipowners. Perhaps I could have found that photograph that way. There was the story of the Lucien Arkas Legend on these pages. But that photograph was not there.
In my archive, the photograph I took “of one of Lucien Arkas’s passions, in front of one of his ship models.”
I am publishing the narrative from C.V. as it is.
A member of the Pagy family, Lucien Arkas’s maternal side, came to his relatives living in Izmir in 1711 with the aim of exporting foodstuffs such as grapes and figs to France. In a short time, he achieved this goal and made considerable progress in dried fruit exports. By the end of the 19th century, the Pagys were considered among the most powerful families of the Levantine colony in Izmir. The paternal side, after the Battle of Waterloo, when the island of Corfu fell into British hands, left the island and settled in Izmir. Guiseppe Arcas marries a young woman from the Pagy family, and from this marriage, Gabriel Jean-Baptiste Arcas is born in 1902. Gabriel J. B. Arcas is involved in commerce and in the same year, 1902, he establishes an import company with two French partners, Tissot and Champsaur. When World War I begins, Tissot and Champsaur leave Izmir. Gabriel J.B. Arcas continues to work alone. Upon the death of Gabriel J.B. Arcas in 1935, his son Lucien Gabriel Arcas, who was living in Marseille, is called to Turkey and continues his father’s profession until 1944 with the company he named “Gabriel J.B. Arcas Successor Lucien Gabriel Arcas”. In 1944, Fratelli Sperco, one of the world’s leading shipowners, proposes that Arcas become their regional agent. In the same year, Lucien Gabriel Arcas establishes a shipping agency in his own name, and the family’s acquaintance with maritime business begins at this point.
The first ship sent by Sperco berths at Izmir Port in 1945. Acorns are loaded onto the ship named “Pahang” to be sent to Egypt. In 1945, the year the Pahang came to Izmir port, the Lucien Gabriel Arcas family experiences another happy event and they have a son. They name this child “Lucien Arkas”. The coincidence of obtaining Sperco’s agency around the same time makes the family think that their son brought them luck. Indeed, that year World War II ends and maritime trade with Europe begins again.
The company “Gabriel J.B. Arcas Successor Lucien Gabriel Arkas” obtains the representation of DSR “Veb Deutsche Seereederei Rostock”, later named “Senator Lines”, in 1963 and the /Baltic – Turkey voyages begin.
Lucien Arkas first goes to a French kindergarten, primary school at the Italian school, and secondary school as a boarder at Izmir St. Joseph. At 19 years old, in 1964, a boss, Lucien Arkas, who took over the company at the age of 19, continues the work with a team of six-seven people, almost all of whom started working alongside his father.
The heartfelt loyalty of the employees to both the company and his father and himself gives Lucien Arkas courage.
Lucien Arkas, who loves to work very much, never misses customer visits to find cargo for the ships. In addition to developing solutions for customer needs, he begins to show a proactive approach to services that can be provided in those days. He always maintains good relations with ship captains. This good cooperation he establishes with the captains eliminates troubles that others say “This problem cannot be solved.” The first two years are spent learning the business, introducing himself to the market, and grasping what is happening in the Turkish and world markets. In 1966, he decides to leave the tourism and import businesses and focuses entirely on maritime trade. In 1968, he obtains the representation of the Rotterdam-based Van Nievelt Goudriaan N.V. and the Yugoslavia-based Mediteranska Plovidba Korcula companies. A year later, he not only takes on the representation of the Haifa-based Ophir Brothers but also begins voyages on behalf of Van Nievelt Goudriaan. By the seventies, although the number of ships that Arkas loaded and unloaded at the Port of Izmir increased, the number of arriving ships still did not exceed four or five per month. Seeing that increasing this number was possible by acquiring new representatives, Lucien Arkas directs his efforts in this direction. In 1972, when the representation offer for Istanbul came from DSR Lines, a branch of Lucien Arkas Vapur Acenteliği is opened in Istanbul. However, just as the preparations were completed and the work was waiting for the ship to arrive, the East German government stops its Turkey voyages on the grounds that it is not a productive line. This setback does not discourage Lucien Arkas; in the same year, he makes a representation agreement with the Slovenian company Splosna Plovba from Yugoslavia for tours to the Far East, the US Pacific coast, and the Mediterranean.
The Container Revolution in Turkish Maritime Trade Transportation
In early 1978, when DSR (Deutsche Seerederei Rostock), for which he had taken over the agency, reopened a line to Turkey, Lucien Arkas received an invitation. The company’s General Manager, Dr. Joachim Wassmann, wants to meet with its agents scattered around the world in Antwerp, Belgium. In his speech at the meeting, Wassmann states that they will switch to container transportation from now on and asks all agents to explain and convince their customers of this new system. The task of convincing Turkish exporters and importers falls to Lucien Arkas. Listening carefully to Wassmann, Arkas recalls the troubles caused between the exporting company and the buyer by goods crushed during transport like grapes and figs, or broken like glass and ceramics, and saw that container transportation was tailor-made for Turkey too, and recommended this new system to exporting companies. However, he encountered the suspicious looks of companies accustomed to bulk, also known as breakbulk, transportation. The exporters’ reluctance stemmed both from the risk of trying a new method and the fear that costs would increase, as well as their belief that container transportation was one of those temporary inventions that wouldn’t last long in the market. To dispel these misconceptions, Lucien Arkas continued his meetings with almost all exporters one by one, never giving up on convincing them.
Lucien Arkas meets with Bodur, Ülker, and Boyner
He knocks on the door of İbrahim Bodur, President of the Çanakkale Ceramics Group. He suggests that Bodur, who suffers from twenty-thirty percent waste on ceramics exported to the Netherlands, try the container.
In those years, he takes the same proposal to Şişe Cam, which was sending bottles to Saudi Arabia to be filled with cola, and to Ülker, whose biscuits and chocolates were arriving broken to the buyer, and insists they try it.
The first “Yes” answer to Arkas comes from Osman Boyner, the owner of Altınyıldız fabrics. Altınyıldız buys the wool it uses in production from New Zealand and Australia. However, the ships working on those lines carried much larger amounts of cargo and only set sail a few times a year, during the peak collection periods. For this reason, Altınyıldız had to buy the wool from a European merchant. Arkas offers Boyner an alternative to this system, which also increased costs, and presents a solution: “I cannot bring the entire ship to Istanbul, because there isn’t enough cargo to cover the cost, but I can have the goods unloaded at Piraeus Port, and from there, arrange for them to be brought to Istanbul, to your factory, by truck. This will cost you less than the current method.” Recognizing the importance of Lucien Arkas’s proposal, Osman Boyner gave a positive response, and the ship from Australia and New Zealand unloaded the goods at Piraeus Port, from where they reached Altınyıldız. Seeing that the transport cost decreased on the first voyage, he agreed that Lucien Arkas was right. Altınyıldız was followed by Şişecam, Ülker, and others.
This time, Lucien Arkas seeks to handle the transport of Ülker’s cocoa beans, which were coming in sacks from the Ivory Coast, by container. Sabri Ülker, who was initially suffering significant losses due to reasons like torn sacks and damage to the ship, agrees to try it. Seeing that there was no loss at all from the very first shipment, he decides to switch to container transport. Those who insisted on the bulk method could not resist the buyers’ insistence, and finally, the container, a revolution in maritime transport, exploded in popularity. Container transport also provided small producers with the opportunity for export and import. Producers whom shipowners and agents had not seen or even known the names of until then, because they loaded small quantities of goods, also entered the market.
The first container loading from Izmir was made to the ports of Antwerp and Hamburg in the same year with DSR Lines’ ship “Burg”. As surprising as it may seem, the port operating authorities did not permit the unloading and loading of the container, which they saw and even heard the name of for the first time, and therefore the goods were carried hand-to-hand onto the ship and placed into the containers. The ship agency is followed by the representation of the Marseille container line Mini Line, owned by Greece-based Livanos, which owned DSR Lines, marking a move from ship agency to port investment. Each year, the number of companies represented increased, and the lines stretched from Canada to the Red Sea. The distance between Arkas, who invested in this field foreseeing the container’s massive growth, and his other colleagues gradually widened, and he became one of the leading maritime agents not only of Izmir but of Turkey.
In the 1980s, the Italian company MSC, Lloyd Triestino, the American company Constellation Lines, the Italian company Tarros Lines, the French company CMN, the Bulgarian company Bulcon; and Schenker Germany were added to the list of those represented. In the 1990s, Hapag-Lloyd, Lykes Lines, CGM, Italia di Navigazione, and Yang Ming Line were added to this list. Lucien Arkas thus reaped the fruits of his intense work and gained the representation of world-renowned shipowners. While many agencies that failed to demonstrate the ability to switch to containers and could not adapt to the new system either shrank or closed down, the Arkas Group became a leader. On the other hand, a phone call containing the complaint of a shipowner, unhappy with the sometimes week-long waits at Haydarpaşa Port, saying “This isn’t working. Find a solution,” also heralded a new investment.
Lucien Arkas begins his search for a port. While port congestion or waiting times are not the responsibility of the agent in any country, Lucien Arkas, who chooses to take the risk rather than wait for everything from the state, finds himself on the verge of this not insignificant investment. One of the triggers for his desire to establish a port is the spirit of the times; large companies are swallowing small ones, absorbing and assimilating them. Arkas’s wish, however, is to preserve his autonomy and have a say in the sector. This desire also triggers him to accelerate the investment. Marport is established in Ambarlı.
From port investment to ship ownership
Subsequently, the foundation of the ship fleet is laid by acquiring two container ships with a capacity of 581 TEU. The first ship, named “Vivien”, sets sail on July 30, 1996, followed three months later by the second ship named “Wanda”. The letter “A” was added to the names to indicate the ships belonged to Arkas. With this initiative, Lucien Arkas achieved another first in the Turkish private sector and established “EMES Denizcilik ve Nakliyat Limited Şirketi” (EMES Maritime and Transport Limited Company) to conduct container shipping under the Turkish flag. EMES, which provided feeder transportation and Liner service, changed its name in later years and became “Arkas Line”. These developments, with their more enterprising and creative company management and development methods, steered Arkas towards further growth, and the first 500 TEU containers were acquired. While the Egekont Napoli company also took on the representation of Grimaldi Lines in Turkey, in 1997 Arkas moved beyond Turkey’s borders, acquired the representation of Senator Lines in Bulgaria, and established its first overseas office in Varna under the name “Alfacont”. This was followed in 1999 by Arkas International, established in Piraeus, Greece. By October 2015, it reached 58 offices in 20 countries.
In 2015, Lucien Arkas is the 21st Largest Ship Owner in the World
The 2000s witness Arkas growing like an avalanche. As Turkey’s foreign trade increases, Lucien Arkas also expands his dreams. In just seven years, he builds sixteen ships. Arkas opens offices abroad with the goal of becoming an effective line operator providing regular services in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which he defines as “Mare Nostrum” or “Our Sea”, and of being a company providing agency services. With the understanding that “Wherever my ships go, I must have my own office and my own people,” he opens 58 offices in 20 countries. Approximately one thousand people work in the offices in Greece, Italy, France, Monaco, Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, TRNC, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. What is expected of the overseas staff is both to master the market of the country they work in and to represent Arkas with the “Arkas Culture”. This culture requires loyalty to the company, not fearing competition, working in an enjoyable, productivity-focused environment, caring about customer expectations, and being foresighted in solving their problems. Their mastery of both Eastern and Western culture facilitates Arkas’s business on these routes, and when Lucien Arkas and his aides, his son Bernard Arcas and his daughter Diane Arcas, go to Egypt, Lebanon, or Morocco, they do not feel the foreignness a European might experience and can communicate easily. Turkey’s return to implementing stable policies and consecutively enacting laws compatible with European Union legislation has led to foreign capital turning its face back towards Turkey. This new process, where multinational companies began investing in many sectors, was also reflected in the maritime sector.
Major maritime companies have preferred either to establish their own companies or to partner with strong Turkish companies rather than existing through agencies in Turkey, and while those who did not accept this partnership sold their companies and moved away from the sector, those who accepted it engaged in fierce negotiations. Arkas also prefers to establish partnerships with the companies it represents, but imposes its own rules and demands. One of these demands is to leave the shop window to them, staying in the background and selling services. This type of solution has been accepted by the partners because it reduces costs and increases profits. Today, Bernard Arcas, in addition to his duties as Vice Chairman of the Board of Arkas Holding, is responsible for the agency group, overseas structuring, and information technology (IT), while Diane Arcas, in addition to her duties as Vice Chairman of the Board, is responsible for the logistics services group and the merchant marine fleet.
In 1995, with Italian MSC, MSC Gemi Acenteliği A.Ş. was established; with German DB Schenker, DB Schenker Arkas; in 2005, with German Hapag-Lloyd, Hapag Lloyd Denizaşırı Nakliyat A.Ş.; with Italian MSC Cruises, MSC Kruvaziyer Turizm A.Ş.; in 2009, with Taiwanese Yang Ming, Yang Ming Anadolu Gemi Acenteliği A.Ş.; in 2011, with Italian Tarros SPA, Tarros Denizcilik ve Nakliyat A.Ş.; in 2012, with Korean Hanjin, Hanjin Arkas Lojistik Ticaret A.Ş.; and in 2013, by combining forces with German STILL, the STILL ARSER companies were established.
Arkas turns its route to West Africa
Lucien Arkas is a major player in the market in his own region, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, in short-sea shipping, known as “Short sea” in maritime. In recent years, when his share in the Mediterranean began to be threatened, especially by Far Eastern and European shipowners building larger ships and sending their smaller ships to the Mediterranean, these ships, which undertook to carry all the cargo in the Mediterranean, intensified competition by lowering freight rates. Lucien Arkas found the way to overcome this threat by establishing strategic partnerships with some companies and opening new lines. Due to the time difference with the USA and the Far East requiring ships with larger TEUs, Arkas turns its route to West Africa. The Arkas fleet, which passed numerous inspections without any problems, also becomes the architect of Turkish ships being removed from the blacklist and transferred to the white list in international waters. This success is rewarded by both the Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs and the world’s leading ports. Starting from the very first ship, Lucien Arkas wanted the Arkas fleet to show their allegiance, i.e., to carry the Turkish flag, in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and West Africa where they sail. Although such a decision brought an additional cost of 200 thousand dollars per ship per year, Lucien Arkas did not give up on this demand. In the end, Lucien Arkas’s stubbornness wins, and the transport share of Arkas’s own shipowning company, Arkas Line, in the Mediterranean and Black Sea reaches forty percent, putting its weight on the maritime trade of the Eastern Mediterranean in particular. In the Western Mediterranean, it competes with Italy, Spain, and France.
As stated in the reports of the British research and reporting company Clarkson, it ranks among the top 25, considered the first league worldwide, in the ranking of ship-owning operators. In 2015, it rose to the 21st position. Lucien Arkas feeds the dream of the future with his roots and always achieves firsts. While marking 50 years in his professional life, he manages an international holding company comprising 62 companies. He is among the world’s leading shipowners. In the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and West Africa, ships with Arkas written on their sides are making voyages.
Lucien Arkas has nourished the dream of the future with his roots and has always been a pioneer.
At the ceremony held at Çırağan /Kempinski, the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Lloyd’s List was presented to Lucien Arkas by Metin Kalkavan, the Chairman of the DTO Chamber of Shipping at that time.
In the 50 years since he took over the company, Lucien Arkas has realized most of his dreams, but neither his entry among the world’s leading businessmen nor the advancing years have prevented him from dreaming new dreams. Learning to play the piano is one of them. He both takes lessons and sits down at the piano whenever he finds time. If you ask, “Which affects you more, music or painting?” he gives precedence to music. When you ask, “If you weren’t in the maritime sector, what would you want to do?” he answers without hesitation: “I would want to be an orchestra conductor.”
In fact, he sees little difference between managing a company and conducting an orchestra and says; “In one, there is the harmony of tasks, in the other, the harmony of instruments. Just as when one person makes a mistake it disrupts the work of others, in an orchestra, whichever instrument it is, if the player hits a wrong note, it disrupts the flow of the music. The one who manages the company knows that success is achieved together with the personnel and considers thanking them and being loyal a duty. The orchestra conductor, after a successful concert, has the orchestra members stand and asks for the audience’s applause for them.”
Awards where success is honored Lucien Arkas has been awarded numerous times not only for being the owner of a world company but also for the attitude he follows while doing his job and his contributions to societies. Due to his efforts in bringing France and Turkey closer, he was deemed worthy of the French National Order of Merit (Chevalier) in 1998. This was followed by the Legion of Honour (Chevalier) in 2005 and the Italian Republic Order of Merit (Ordine al Merito). In 2008, due to the oldest Turkish-Austrian partnership (Schenker-Arkas), he received the Austrian Republic’s Grand Silver Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (Großes Silbernes Ehrenzeichen). He is also honored by France with the “Officier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite” decoration. In Turkey, many newspapers select Arkas as the maritime company of the year, and the İzmir Chamber of Commerce also gives him the “Contribution to the City of İzmir Award”. In 2015, for his contributions primarily to Turkish maritime as well as to İzmir’s education, culture, arts, and sports life, he was awarded an “Honorary Doctorate” by İzmir 9 Eylül University.
Arkas Holding’s shipping company, Arkas Line, with its innovative projects in cultural transformation and Human Resources, was deemed worthy of the Bronze Stevie Award for Company of the Year in the “Transportation” category at the Stevie International Business Awards, one of the most prestigious awards in the international business world. This award became the third international award won by Arkas Line in 2025.
The Stevie International Business Awards, established in 2002 and considered one of the prestigious platforms of the business world, have rewarded the achievements of companies and professionals worldwide each year. In that year’s organization, where more than 3,800 applications from 78 countries were meticulously evaluated, Arkas Line’s employee-focused projects and work in the field of cultural transformation were assessed by the jury. The company’s innovative practices for the development of its employees and projects to create an inclusive work culture played a significant role in winning this award.
Arkas Line had previously won two silver Stevie Awards for Great Employers.
In this competition where over a thousand candidates from various sectors in 35 countries competed, Arkas Line was awarded the silver prize in the “Employee Relations Solution Provider of the Year” category, while Arkas Denizcilik Grubu Human Resources Director Senem Kaçamak Susuzlu received the silver award in the “Cultural Transformation Leader of the Year” category. These awards once again demonstrated the company’s employee-oriented approach and its contributions to cultural transformation. Arkas Line further solidified its position on a global scale by winning three international awards in 2025. These achievements were a reflection of the collective effort not only of the company but of the entire Arkas Line team, who work with passion, dedication, and belief. This special success was celebrated at the award ceremony held in Lisbon on October 10th.
In 1996, Lucien Arkas, who was expanding his operations as a shipowner, founded Emes Denizcilik ve Nakliyat, which primarily provided Support Services. With the addition of regular line services, its field of activity expanded, and over time, Liner services became its main area of business. In 2009, Istanbul-based Arkas Konteyner Taşımacılık A.Ş. (Arkas Line) was established, focusing on “Liner Services.” Feeder services continued under the Genoa-based Emes Feedering S.R.L.
Arkas’s fleet of container ships
Lucien Arkas has succeeded in building and managing one of Turkey’s most modern and largest fleets of container ships. This fleet includes; 7 container ships with a capacity of 1900-2700 TEU, 9 container ships with a capacity of 2700-2400 TEU, 10 container ships with a capacity of 1700-1500 TEU, and 16 container ships with a capacity of 1500-1150 TEU.
The fourth generation in charge
Lucien Arkas is confident that his children will build the future Arkas. He is delegating authority, acting generously, and quietly observing their steps towards institutionalization, their business methods, allowing them to bring people from their own circles to key positions, work with the consultants they want, and moreover, allowing them to make mistakes. Every month, he reads the reports given to him, sees where the dangers lie in which areas, and asks for their research. As the years pass and their authority increases, he consults more with Diane Arkas and Bernard Arkas, and he is happy to see that sometimes they even surpass him in professional competence.
Lucien Arkas’s Assessments on Life and People
“My life is the sea, ships, and the port.” he says and continues; “I grew up by the sea, I cannot imagine living in a place without the sea. I also earned my living from the sea. My father used to say, ‘The sea has never let anyone go hungry to this day. There is always bread in it, little or much.’ “You either love a profession or you don’t, that’s the point. I might not have loved my father’s profession, but I did. I succeeded through discipline and working perfectly. The secret to my success is reading books and developing my consciousness.” Lucien Arkas, who set another exemplary practice for training qualified personnel for the sector through University-Industry Cooperation, collaborated with the Ministry of National Education and, based on the importance of having a competent human resource in his field of service, added another one to the social responsibility projects in the field of education. At the “Arkas Narlıdere Vocational and Technical High School,” whose construction was carried out and equipped by Arkas in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education in İzmir Narlıdere, considering that they will work and provide services in international trade, the primary goal was to provide a good English language education opportunity.
The first two years of the four-year education process consist of general courses determined by the Ministry of National Education for high schools, while from the third year onwards, it is divided into specialized fields. Arkas Narlıdere Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School constitutes one of the foundation works in the field of culture and education built by Lucien Arkas in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education with the aim of training intermediate staff with vocational equipment and technical expertise for the sector.
Lucien Arkas continued addressing his students as follows; “When you graduate, companies that want to offer you jobs test both academic knowledge and practical skills together. Academic knowledge is important, but knowledge must be convertible into practice. You are lucky because you will receive vocational training here; you will both gain theoretical knowledge and do practice. We want to train sought-after young people, instead of young people looking for jobs. Companies should develop practical training for sectors by cooperating with schools. We do this together with Dokuz Eylül University Maritime Faculty. Based on this, we also cooperated with the Ministry of National Education for the logistics sector and had the Arkas Narlıdere Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School built.”
Through “Arkas Sports Club”, “Arkas Art Center”, and the “Arkas Maritime History Museum” in Bornova, it continues to be a legacy for Aegean and national culture from today to the future.
Lucien Arkas’s contributions to culture and education are Growing Young Talents at the Arkas Sports Facilities, which opened for service in 2007. Very important cultural, art, and sports facilities were established under the leadership of Lucien Arkas. One of these is the Arkas Sports Facilities in Karşıyaka Örnekköy. The aim here was to contribute to the development of Turkish sports and the raising of healthy sporting generations and to instill a sports culture in young talents. With the slogan “Everything starts with dreaming,” Arkas Sports once again demonstrated its importance on infrastructure works and social responsibility awareness, opening the Arkas Sports Facilities, whose construction began in 2006, for service with a ceremony on February 8, 2007.
The opening ceremony of the Arkas Sports Complex, established on an area of 3 thousand square meters in Karşıyaka-Örnekköy, took place with the participation of the Governor of İzmir, Mr. Cahit Kıraç, the Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Mr. Aziz Kocaoğlu, Deputy Governor Fahri Aykırı, Karşıyaka Mayor Cevat Durak, Volleyball Federation President Erol Ünal Karabıyık, Arkas Board Chairman Lucien Arkas, Arkas Sports Vice President Bernard Arkas, and Arkas Sports Board members and guests. Piri Reis Primary School provided great support for the allocation of the land and the construction of the building. For the Piri Reis Primary School in İzmir Konak, one of the schools of the Orion Education Foundation, Lucien Arkas, one of the founding members of the Orion Foundation, provided great support for the allocation of the land, the construction of the building, and the school’s commencement of education in a short time. Thus, the Konak Piri Reis Primary School became operational in Karşıyaka during the 2007-2008 academic year.
İzmir Bizim Okul Education Health and Culture Foundation President Lucien Arkas said, “Our foundation was established with the aim of our school Saint-Joseph, which has given us so much along with Francophonie and French Culture, being in better places, more of our youth learning these common values, and being able to support larger social responsibility projects.
In addition to our youth being equipped with the knowledge and culture of the civilized world as talented individuals, we also want to contribute to raising them as contemporary, creative, entrepreneurial citizens who love their country and its people for Turkey’s tomorrows,” he said.
Continuing the Legend
Arkas Automotive, Arkas AutoPort Port Operations, Arkas Railway Operations, Arkas Logistics, Arkas Air, Arkas Marport Port Operations, Arkas Bunkering, Arkas Ç/Turmepa, Arkas Kristal Olive Oil, Arkas Wine /La Mahzen -Monreve Group and hotels…
Arkas Autoport-Arkas Autoport Terminal Operations is Turkey’s first “automotive terminal” built to meet the private port needs of the automotive sector. Located in the Yeniköy Township of Başiskele district of Kocaeli on an area of 243 thousand square meters, the terminal is situated at the intersection point of the storage areas of automotive manufacturers and distributor companies based in the Eastern and Southern Marmara. The terminal, which serves all imported and exported brands, is specifically designed for automotive. Thanks to this design, the port is freed from the risks and limitations brought about by performing different handling services together and in the same area.
Arkas Railway, acting with the belief that connecting Anatolian cities to ports by rail will encourage local production and having invested in this direction for over 20 years, continues to achieve firsts under the Arkas Rail, established under the umbrella of Arkas Logistics, which makes pioneering investments that develop the logistics sector with the motto “The Power Behind Logistics”, to connect Anatolia to ports and the world at suitable costs by also utilizing the advantage of railways in the 100th year of the Republic within the scope of the ‘Arkas Anatolia Project’.
With its investment, Arkas Rail placed an order for five Euro Dual model locomotives, which run on diesel and electricity, from Stadler Rail Valencia S.A.U., and in addition to 700 proprietary wagons, it has purchased nearly 100 more wagons. Thus, the company aims to offer its customers a lower-cost, faster, and safer transportation service. Arkas Rail, which continues its investments to provide reliable, environmentally friendly, and digital logistics services, holds the title of Turkey’s 3rd Railway Train Operator (RTO) by making hybrid locomotive investments. Railport, planned to be established as a new Intermodal Logistics Terminal on the east-west trade corridor through the partnership of Arkas, one of Turkey’s leading international holdings operating with a total of 66 companies in Turkey and abroad, and Duisport, Europe’s largest Intermodal Logistics Terminal operator, serves in a total area of 265 thousand square meters. Railport, which will connect with Asia via the Iron Silk Road (Baku-Tbilisi-Kars) and with European Union countries via the European railway, is positioned to act as a bridge for transport between Asia and Europe, and between Europe and the Balkan and Central Asian (CIS) countries. Within the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it will integrate the China and Central Asia route, extending to the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Georgia via the Trans-Asian Railway Network, with Turkey and Europe.
Arkas Air- Aviation Services
The mission of Arkasair, founded in 1998, is to offer our valued passengers first-class V.I.P. Air Taxi service. Arkasair is one of the 66 companies operating under Arkas Holding A.Ş. Arkas Holding, V.I.P.
It serves many sectors, including Air Transportation, with over 8,300 professionals. Arkasair, the first Air Taxi company in Turkey to earn the ISO 9001 Certificate, operates from its private hangar at Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. The Arkasair fleet includes 1 VIP jet aircraft and a Challenger 3500 with a capacity for 8 passengers.
Arkas Bunkering has created a first in a very wide ports region with its fleet of 6 bunker tankers that enable the use of Bio Diesel.
Arkas Agriculture is also admired for its features in the field of food.
Kristal Olive Oil is a century-old brand. Anthony Micaleff, a businessman from Izmir, started the olive oil trade in 1934 and olive oil production in 1938. Ticaret ve Sanayi Kontuvarı Türk A.Ş., established as a Joint Stock Company in 1945, became the only olive oil company registered as a Turkish A.Ş. by the Council of Ministers. After its partnership with Arkas Holding in 2007, Kristal Yağları increased its investments and production capacity and continues its European operations through its company Aceites Kristal, established in Valencia, Spain, in addition to its facilities in Bornova and Ayvalık.
Lucien Arkas Vineyards
Lucien Arkas Vineyards was established in 2006 on a 1,168-acre plot of land in Torbalı, Izmir, as a vineyard for wine grapes. Experts examined the soil and climatic characteristics of the vineyards, and as a result of the soil and climate analyses, saplings sourced from Europe were shipped to Lucien Arkas Vineyards in special air-conditioned vehicles. It was decided to plant high-quality wine grape varieties such as Tempranillo, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Marselan, Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Bornova Misketi at Lucien Arkas Vineyards, which were thought to be the best suited to the Aegean’s soil and climate conditions, some of which had never been cultivated in Turkey until that day.
At Lucien Arkas Vineyards, the “High trellis” viticulture system ensures that the vines wrap around the wires and develop upwards. This provides the ample air circulation and sunlight required for the healthy development of the grapes. Furthermore, based on the principle of “low yield, high quality” in the vineyards, the number of clusters per vine is reduced through pruning and thinning work before the harvest. Thus, the aromatic character of the grapes is strengthened.
La Mahzen is a Montreve Brand of Arkas Holding. The grapes that come to life in the fertile lands of Metropolis are meticulously cultivated at Lucien Arkas Vineyards. The LA Mahzen Restaurant is located at Lucien Arkas Vineyards. Les Bungalows, a vineyard hotel, is located next to Lucien Arkas Vineyards as part of the Monreve Group, a joint project of Merve – Lucien Arkas. The LA Mahzen and Montiano restaurants, located amidst the vineyards and together with the wine cellar, offer a unique gastronomic culture. And finally, at Tenuto Aliotti, under construction among 16th-century structures in Italy’s Tuscany region, a life and gastronomy project encompassing viticulture, art, and accommodation on a thousand-acre plot is continuing to take shape.
Mistral Yapı Arkas Holding Headquarters
Following the Bornova Mattheys Mansion and the Göztepe Ayşe and Seniha Mayda Mansion in its work, Arkas Art Center announces that the Seventh Arkas Art Center will open in Bayraklı Mistral in 2026, in cooperation with France’s famous museum, the Centre Pompidou.
Mistral Complex is located in the Bayraklı district, Izmir’s rising value, on a total area of 121,500 square meters with 2 towers, consisting of a 38-story residential and a 48-story office building. The project, with 20,000 square meters of green space, its Bazaar, and offering all kinds of living possibilities with both the residential building and the office tower, also includes a Sheraton Hotel.
The partners of “Mistral Yapı Gayrimenkul Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.”, whose name comes from Mistral, meaning ‘a strong and fast Mediterranean wind’, are composed of leading businessmen from the Izmir business world and important companies such as Lucien Arkas, Haydar İnaç, Tufan Ünal, Erdoğan Atay Holding A.Ş., Deniz Barçın, and Serhan Ünsal.
I am pausing here temporarily. However, let it not be thought that I have been able to describe Lucien Arkas with all his achievements and what he has accomplished…
From these lines onward, I will describe Lucien Arkas through the unparalleled importance he places on art, culture, and history and the works he has achieved.
Lucien Arkas has a saying; he says, “Everything Begins with Dreaming.”
Noting that his greatest wish is for children and young people to embrace these institutions, Lucien Arkas explains as follows; “We want our children to grow up ready for life and with self-confidence. Let them dream, let them inspire dreams. This is my principle. Everything begins with dreaming. You cannot do anything without wanting, desiring, and dreaming it. For this, you need to undergo a good education and instruction. This is how we saw it, this is how we lived. We want the children raised here to become citizens of the world. We expect them to contribute to Turkey’s future.”
Arkas International Orders of /Awards
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany was instituted in 1951 by Federal President Theodor Heuss. This order is the only honor that can be awarded in all fields of endeavor and is the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for services to the nation.
La Grande Chancellerie – The Legion of Honor, is France’s highest order and one of the most famous orders in the world. For two centuries, it has been awarded on behalf of the Head of State to reward the most deserving citizens in all fields of activity.
Lucien Arkas was also deemed worthy of the “Officier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite” order by France.
In 2005, he was honored with the Knight of the Legion of Honour order.
He was honored with the Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
In 2008, due to the oldest Turkish-Austrian partnership (Schenker-Arkas), he was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria.
In Turkey, the Izmir Chamber of Commerce awarded him the “Contribution to the City of Izmir Award” and in 2015, Dokuz Eylül University awarded him the title of “Honorary Doctorate” for his contributions primarily to Turkish maritime as well as to Izmir’s education, culture, arts, and sports life. One of these awards is the “Presidency of Turkey Grand Awards for Culture and Arts.” I examined who this award is given to and which distinguished personalities have received it to date; The Presidency Grand Awards for Culture and Arts are awards presented by the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey since 1995 to honor and encourage persons or institutions who have made significant contributions to Turkish cultural and artistic life through original works or services, on behalf of the state. Since April 12, 2008, an award ceremony has also begun to be held regularly.
This award has been given in fields such as Literature, Culture and Art, Music, Literature, Grand Art, Cinema, Architecture, Traditional Arts, Culture and Art Institution, History, Painting, Art History, Criticism, Archaeology, Social Sciences, History of Islamic Science and Technology, Documentary, Culture and Art, Vefa Award, /Photography, Social Sciences and History, Vefa, Collector, Science Culture, Bookselling, Calligraphy, Theater, Science-Culture, Cartoon-Animation, Gastronomy, Dance and Ballet, Craft, Architecture, Science, Digital Art, Librarianship, Atatürk International Peace Prize. These awards serve as a certificate of honor. It is exciting, encouraging, and depicts a country’s accumulation of knowledge in the concept of culture and art. I continued my research, wondering if awards are given to legends, and even if such an award exists in other civilized countries. Because what I am telling is the “Legend of Lucien Arkas”.
