Kahraman Sadıkoğlu

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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. Sadikoğlu operates her as a charter ship on a 49-year lease from the government.

In December 2005, Sadıkoğlu was kidnapped in the Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr by terrorists, who demanded a US$25 million ransom [1]. 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. [2]