COLE BAY--Turkish businessman Sudi Özkan, founder and chairman of Princess International Group and a longtime investor in St. Maarten, has died at the age of 87, according to multiple reports from Turkey on Thursday.
Özkan, whose international business interests included the Princess Port de Plaisance Resort and Casino in Cole Bay, was reported to have been receiving medical treatment in Istanbul before his death. His exact cause of death has not been officially announced.
His passing marks the end of a business career that stretched from Turkey to Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, and which left a significant footprint in St. Maarten through tourism, gaming, real estate and hospitality.
Born in Adana, Turkey, in 1939, Özkan was the son of a grocer and began his business career in real estate and automobile trading before moving into construction and tourism. He opened his first casino in Istanbul in 1985 and grew rapidly during the expansion of Turkey's gaming industry in the 1980s and 1990s.
By the time casinos were closed in Turkey in 1998, Özkan was operating 19 gaming establishments there. Following the closure of the industry, he shifted much of his business activity abroad and developed Princess International into a multinational hospitality and gaming group.
St. Maarten became one of the important Caribbean bases of his international expansion.
Özkan was closely associated with the development and operation of Princess Port de Plaisance, which includes the resort, casino and other hospitality and recreational facilities in the Cole Bay area. The Princess Casino at Port de Plaisance has operated on the island for decades and became one of the better-known gaming establishments in St. Maarten.
His connection to the country extended beyond the casino business. Princess Port de Plaisance has over the years served as a venue and supporter for major events and community initiatives.
Özkan personally supported the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, with Princess Port de Plaisance becoming an important venue partner for the international sailing event. In announcing one of the partnerships, Özkan said he was pleased to make the resort available to support the St. Maarten event.
His businesses also supported local community initiatives. In 2011, Özkan, his family and friends were reported to have jointly pledged US $50,000 to the Childfest Foundation, which raised funds for underprivileged children. Princess Port de Plaisance also supported the Art Saves Lives Foundation and hosted activities connected to its summer programs for young people.
Princess International's current corporate information describes a group operating in 16 countries, with 16 hotels, 28 casinos, more than 100 companies, over 60 real estate holdings and more than 15,000 employees. Its activities have extended beyond hotels and casinos into entertainment, real estate, energy and other investments.
Özkan was one of the most prominent figures in Turkey's casino industry during the 1980s and 1990s, where the media frequently referred to him as the country's "Casino King." His career was also accompanied by tax disputes and legal controversies in Turkey. Özkan disputed allegations made against him during that period, and his companies later participated in a Turkish tax restructuring arrangement.
His overseas expansion ultimately made the Princess name familiar across several regions, with investments reported in countries including Bulgaria, Belarus, Georgia, North Macedonia, Albania, Belize, Guyana and several Caribbean destinations.
For St. Maarten, however, Özkan's legacy is particularly visible at Port de Plaisance, where his investment became part of the country's tourism, gaming and entertainment landscape and supported employment and major local events for many years.
Özkan had six children from two marriages
