Tevfik Arif

World's Seventh Largest Yacht Could Be Seized in Sex Sting

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Turkish officials are moving to seize the 446-ft. Savarona (above), the world's seventh largest yacht, in the wake of the dramatic prostitution raid on the ship off the Turkish coast which we first reported on Friday. Authorities charged that the megayacht, which is owned by the Republic of Turkey, was being run as a floating brothel by the unnamed businessman who had been renting it for $40,000 per day. Clients paid $3,000 to $10,000 per night to have sex with one or more Russian and Ukrainian fashion models, some of whom were underage and are being deported, according to reports.

A sometime business associate of Donald Trump, real estate mogul Tevfik Arif, was among those taken into custody when armed police arrived in helicopters to find an orgy in full swing. Built by Blohm + Voss in 1931 for an American heiress, the lavishly refurbished yacht features accommodations for 34 guests with 260 tons of polished marble, a swimming pool, turkish bath, 282-foot gold-trimmed grand staircase, movie theater, library and helipad. Celebrities who have stayed aboard her include Prince Charles, the Sultan of Brunei, Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Hugh Grant and Tom Cruise, though so far there is no evidence any of them did so while the brothel was in operation.

UPDATE at 6:00pm ET on May 16, 2012: Tevfik Arif was acquitted of all charges in April 2011, according to The Guardian.

Gallery: The Superyacht 'Savarona'

Tags: Blohm + Voss, crime, Donald Trump, megayacht, Savarona, sex, superyacht, Tevfik Arif, Turkey, wealth, yacht

World's Seventh Largest Yacht Raided in Prostitution Bust, Trump Associate Arrested

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

The incredible 446-ft. Savarona (above), the seventh largest yacht in the world, was the site of a dramatic helicopter raid by police off the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey the other day. New York-based property developer Tevfik Arif, a sometime business partner of Donald Trump, is being questioned by Turkish police as a suspected organizer of an international ring of high-priced prostitutes that operated on the yacht, Bloomberg reports. Built by Blohm + Voss in 1931 for an American heiress, the superyacht is owned by the Republic of Turkey and was available for charter at $50,000 per day. The lavishly refurbished yacht features accommodations for 34 guests with 260 tons of polished marble, a swimming pool, turkish bath, 282-foot gold-trimmed grand staircase, movie theater, library and helipad. Celebrities who have stayed aboard her include Prince Charles, the Sultan of Brunei, Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Hugh Grant and Tom Cruise.

In addition to Arif, businessmen from Russia and high-level government officials were taken into custody aboard the Savarona by Turkish military police following a seven-month investigation into an international prostitution ring, Bloomberg reports. The men paid $3,000 to $10,000 per night to have sex at sea with Russian and Ukrainian fashion models, some of whom were underage. 10 Russian and Ukrainian women suspected of prostitution were also detained in the operation. When police arrived at the yacht around midday they found everyone in bed. Arif's lawyer Engin Agyuzlu stated that his client is the victim of a "smear campaign" and will "vigorously defend himself in any court of law." Arif is chairman of Bayrock Group LLC, a property group that partnered with the Trump Organization to build the SoHo Hotel Condominium and a Trump Tower in Florida.

UPDATE at 6:00pm ET on May 16, 2012: Tevfik Arif was acquitted of all charges in April 2011, according to The Guardian.

Gallery: The Superyacht 'Savarona'

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Tags: Blohm + Voss, crime, Donald Trump, Mediterranean, models, New York, prostitution, real estate, Russia, Savarona, sex, superyacht, Tevfik Arif, Turkey, wealth, yacht