Kahraman Sadikoglu
Encyclopedia
Kahraman Sadıkoğlu is a Turkish
businessman. He owns the Istanbul
-based Tuzla Shipyard and is the head of Dubai
-based International Marine Contractors.
He paid for the restoration of one of the largest yachts in the world, the Savarona
. She was purchased by the Turkish government in 1938 for use as a presidential yacht by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
, but was later allowed to fall into disrepair after his death. Mr Sadikoglu leased the vessel in 1989 from the Turkish government and invested 50 million dollars to restore its former beauty.
In December 2005, Sadıkoğlu was kidnapped in the Iraq
i port city of Umm Qasr
by terrorists, who demanded a US$25 million ransom. He was released in February 2006 following the payment of a much smaller sum, said by his wife to be "less than $1m" and by the Turkish newspaper Vatan
to be $500,000.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
businessman. He owns the Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
-based Tuzla Shipyard and is the head of Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
-based International Marine Contractors.
He paid for the restoration of one of the largest yachts in the world, the Savarona
MV Savarona
The MV Savarona is a luxury State yacht. She was the largest in the world when launched in 1931, and remains with a length of 136 m one of the world’s longest...
. She was purchased by the Turkish government in 1938 for use as a presidential yacht by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
, but was later allowed to fall into disrepair after his death. Mr Sadikoglu leased the vessel in 1989 from the Turkish government and invested 50 million dollars to restore its former beauty.
In December 2005, Sadıkoğlu was kidnapped in the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i port city of Umm Qasr
Umm Qasr
Umm Qasr , is a port city in southern Iraq. It stands on the canalised Khawr az-Zubayr, part of the Khawr Abd Allah estuary which leads to the Persian Gulf. It is separated from the border of Kuwait by a small inlet...
by terrorists, who demanded a US$25 million ransom. He was released in February 2006 following the payment of a much smaller sum, said by his wife to be "less than $1m" and by the Turkish newspaper Vatan
Vatan
Vatan is a Turkish daily newspaper.A newspaper in Turkey founded in 2002, it is increasingly becoming one of the most popular.As of March 2011, Vatan newspaper had the 15th highest circulation in Turkey at 111,489....
to be $500,000.