Our group’s history dates all the way back to 1887 when we got our start, as a family business, in the town of Eregli on the Black Sea coast.

In 1921 our headquarters moved to Istanbul and then, in 1954, Irfan Cerrahoglu established the first joint stock company in Turkish maritime history.

Four generations later, in 1974, the current chairman, Esref Cerrahoglu, joined his father in the shipping business. He has combined the family shipping interest with many honorary positions in the maritime industry. He served as President of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping for four years between 1991 and 1995, as Vice President of the Baltic and International Maritime Organization between 1999 and 2001 and also he was a member of the board of Lloyd’s Register between 1997 and  2005. He is currently the Chairman of Turkish Maritime Assembly of  the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey as well as serving as the President of TURMEPA since 2001.

Cerrahgil's UK subsidiary, Cermar Maritime Enterprises (UK) Ltd., was formed by special ministerial decree in 1981, and for many years was the sole legal Turkish subsidiary company anywhere in the world, and, since 1987, Cerrahgil have represented HSBC Insurance brokers in Turkey promoting both maritime and financial insurance in Turkey.

In 1989, Cerrahgil was the first company to take advantage of the newly liberalized Turkish regulations, which freed up the registration of ships on the Turkish register and the ability to finance and insure Turkish flag vessels overseas. Due to this pioneering spirit, Cerrahgil was responsible for both organising the logistics and the shipping of the majority of grain import and export cargoes both into and out of Turkey throughout the early 1990’s.

Cerrahgil has always maintained a close and ongoing relationship with the two major steel mills at Eregli and Iskenderun in Turkey, and are active participants in contracts of affreightment with the Turkish steel mills Erdemir and Isdemir, and coal and iron ore imports are carried from these mills in Cape Size and Panamax vessels.  Cerrahgil Agency handles in excess of 1,000 vessels of all types, calling at Turkish ports and transiting the Bosphorus Straits. The Cerrahgil Insurance division, moreover, continues to represent HSBC Insurance Brokers as well.

The group is involved in more than just the Maritime Industry, Cerrahgil are also distributors for the British luxury cosmetics and toiletries manufacturer Molton Brown, and the number one supplier of Molton Brown products to five star hotels and spas throughout Turkey. Their sister company, Motus, own and operate the top boutique health and wellness club in Istanbul and, in 2006, opened a second such club in Bodrum.  In 2007, the joint venture company, Esalba was established in Eskisehir as a metal parts subcontracting company and, in the same year, Ipera became an exclusive property development company dedicated to the regeneration of the historical buildings, creating high quality, glamorous Istanbul residences in irresistible settings.