Our Expert in Turkey
Global Law Experts is pleased to welcome Efe Ülken as its Exclusive Member for Shipping & Maritime Law in Türkiye.
His appointment further strengthens our ability to connect businesses and individuals operating in Türkiye with trusted, specialist legal counsel across Maritime, shipping & transport, and superyacht-related matters.
This appointment recognises Efe Ülken’s strong sector focus and extensive experience, as well as Türkiye’s growing strategic importance in regional and international maritime commerce.
Efe Ülken is the founder of Ülken Law Firm, a boutique practice oriented towards maritime, yachting, transport and related commercial work. The firm was established to provide pragmatic, industry aware advice to shipyards, owners, brokers, financiers and insurers operating in and with Türkiye. Ülken Law Firm’s practice model emphasises cross border coordination and sector specific guidance for technically complex projects.
As a practitioner who combines English law training with trade‑law familiarity, Efe Ülken has structured his practice to bridge differing legal systems and regulatory expectations encountered in international shipping matters. That approach underpins the firm’s transactional and contentious work across vessel acquisition, shipbuilding contracts, casualty response and enforcement of maritime claims.
Efe Ülken’s academic and professional credentials reflect a hybrid legal education and a cross-jurisdictional practice orientation. He read law at Başkent University, completed postgraduate studies at Akdeniz University, where he also conducted academic work in the field of maritime law, and undertook studies in English law at City, University of London. He has authored and published numerous academic articles and scholarly works. These qualifications support a practice that regularly considers both Turkish law and English-law concepts when negotiating international maritime agreements.
Alongside his academic record, Efe is admitted to the Istanbul Bar and is a member of the Hamburg Bar, enabling him to operate effectively across Turkish and German legal environments—an important capability in matters involving European shipyards, financiers, or claimants. His multilingual practice, notably in English and German, further facilitates the coordination of multinational legal teams and cross-border dispute strategies.
Efe’s day‑to‑day practice spans the full lifecycle of vessel and yacht projects and the pressing demands of maritime contingency work. His core areas include yacht acquisition and registration, new‑build and refit contracts, yachtbuilding & shipbuilding negotiation and project documentation, vessel finance, charterparty and cargo disputes, marine casualty response, and ship arrest and enforcement applications under Turkish procedure. Clients value his combination of technical contract literacy and practical litigation readiness.
The firm is especially active in the superyacht sector, advising owners, builders, designers and brokers on bespoke transactional frameworks, regulatory compliance and registry matters. Ülken’s practice also covers insurance and indemnity issues, cargo claims and marine pollution liability areas where technical, insurance and financing layers commonly intersect in Turkey’s maritime ecosystem.
Beyond client work, Efe and his firm publish practical legal guides and sector briefings aimed at owners, yards and insurers. These materials focus on actionable guidance for yacht building, refit, sale processes, ship/yacht arrest and cargo liability resources that reflect a commitment to client education and risk reduction in maritime projects.
He is a regular contributor and speaker at industry events, including participation at forums such as the Superyacht Summit Türkiye, where he has discussed legal and administrative excellence in yacht building and refit. This public engagement demonstrates a readiness to translate technical legal issues into industry‑facing guidance and to contribute to the sector’s development in Türkiye.
Global Law Experts recognizes members who demonstrate sector depth, cross‑border competence and client‑facing resources and thought leadership. Efe Ülken meets these criteria through his education, dual bar engagements, multilingual practice and boutique focus. His mix of transactional depth and crisis management capability supports clients navigating the technical and procedural challenges of maritime commerce.
We highlight his hands‑on experience with superyacht projects and shipbuilding assignments that involve bespoke documentation, multi‑party coordination and regulatory navigation. For clients seeking a practitioner who understands both the engineering and commercial dynamics of maritime projects, Efe Ülken offers a practical blend of skills.
Shipping & Maritime law in Turkey sits at the intersection of domestic statutes, admiralty procedure and a suite of international conventions that Türkiye has implemented or interacts with. The legal framework requires practitioners to balance national administrative regimes, classification society requirements and international commercial norms particularly when contracts are governed by English law or involve foreign shipyards and financiers.
Key challenges in the current landscape include ensuring enforceable security for maritime claims, navigating port and customs inspections (especially for superyachts and imported components), managing environmental compliance and liabilities, and planning forum selection to secure practical enforcement outcomes. The increasing technical complexity of shipbuilding and refit projects also makes clear drafting and allocation of risk essential, from warranty mechanics to delivery testing protocols.
For businesses and individuals engaging with shipping & maritime activities in Turkey, specialist legal guidance reduces transactional risk and prepares clients for urgent event management. Contract clarity in shipbuilding and yacht projects prevents disputes by mapping responsibilities for specifications, change orders and delivery timelines. In casualty scenarios, rapid legal coordination is vital to preserve evidence, obtain precautionary measures and liaise with port and investigative authorities.
Legal advice is also crucial for security instruments, whether seeking arrest of a vessel, instituting cargo claims or enforcing maritime mortgages. Experienced counsel will advise on the most effective procedural steps under Turkish practice, how those steps interact with foreign judgments or arbitral awards, and how to secure collateral or insurance remedies promptly and enforceably.
If you are an owner, shipyard, broker or financial institution operating in or with Türkiye, consider the following practical steps to manage legal risk: 1) ensure shipbuilding and yacht contracts are clear about technical specs, testing and delay remedies; 2) confirm registry, import and customs treatment early in the commercial timetable; 3) include express dispute resolution and forum clauses that reflect enforceability objectives; and 4) maintain comprehensive insurance and evidence‑preservation plans for potential casualties.
Working with counsel who understands both the maritime technical terms and Turkish procedural realities will speed decision‑making and reduce the chances of protracted enforcement problems. Efe’s practice is built to support these needs combining transactional drafting, regulatory navigation and urgent litigation support for clients across the maritime value chain.
Clients engaging Ülken Law Firm can expect coordinated cross‑border strategy, attention to the technicalities of shipbuilding and yacht contracts, and proactive dispute‑avoidance measures. The firm’s bilingual capacity and Hamburg connection add practical value when European shipyards, designers or financiers are involved, allowing seamless coordination on issues of forum selection, enforcement and regulatory alignment.
For superyacht owners, the firm’s experience navigating registration, port access and customs regimes is particularly relevant. For shipyards and financiers, clear drafting on payment mechanics, retention, lien and warranty provisions is essential to limit downstream exposure. Efe’s courtroom and precautionary practice provides clients with a measured, commercially sensitive route to protect assets and reputations.
Shipping & Maritime law in Turkey demands practitioners who can combine technical contract literacy, procedural agility and cross‑jurisdictional coordination. We at Global Law Experts welcome Efe Ülken as our Exclusive Member for Shipping & Maritime in Turkey. His background in education, cross‑border practice and sector engagement reflects a strong alignment with the needs of shipowners, yards, brokers, insurers and financiers navigating maritime projects in Türkiye.
For businesses and individuals seeking experienced legal support in the Turkish maritime market, Efe’s and Ülken Law Firm approach combining transactional precision, litigation readiness and client education offers meaningful practical value across the full lifecycle of vessel ownership and construction. We look forward to showcasing his expertise and helping connect clients to the maritime legal support they need.
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