Turkish tanker owner Ditaş has been linked to an order for two suezmax vessels at South Korea’s DH Shipbuilding, marking what would be its first move in the segment in about a decade.

DH disclosed the KRW271.3bn ($196m) contract on Monday, but identified the customer only as a new European owner. Shipbroking and market sources have since named the Tüpraş shipping arm as the company behind the order. Ditaş has not publicly confirmed the deal.

The two 157,000 dwt ships are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2029. At about $98m per vessel, the contract would double Ditaş’s suezmax fleet to four ships and add to a fleet that already spans tankers across several segments.

The Istanbul-based owner currently lists the 2017-built, 157,453 dwt sister ships T Sadberk and T Semahat in the segment, out of 17 owned tankers.

Ditaş has also been adding tonnage elsewhere. The company has been linked to the purchase of the 114,800 dwt aframax newbuilding T Riva, due from a CSSC yard in Dalian later this year, in a resale deal reported at around $90m. Last year it added the 2020-built MR tanker T Kilyos for more than $40m.

Closer to home, the company has two 12,000 dwt chemical tankers under construction at Koç-owned RMK Marine. The first vessel in the series, T Florya, was launched in April.

The latest pair has helped DH Shipbuilding lift its 2026 order intake to a record 17 ships worth around KRW2.25trn. The Haenam yard now has 36 vessels on order, filling its construction slots through the end of 2029, which means new orders are increasingly being placed against a fuller delivery schedule.