At ITM 2026, Kohan Textile Journal interviewed Osman Balkan from Balkan Tekstil, a Turkish manufacturer with more than five decades of experience in textile machinery. During the interview, he discussed the company’s product portfolio, international expansion, the challenges facing Turkish textile exporters, and why Egypt is becoming an increasingly attractive manufacturing destination.
Could you introduce Balkan Tekstil and your product portfolio?
Osman Balkan: Balkan Tekstil was established in Aydın, Türkiye, nearly 50 years ago. Today, we manufacture a wide range of textile machinery, including blowroom equipment, fiber opening machines, blending systems, pillow and quilt production lines, textile opening machines, and cotton cleaning systems.
We employ around 150 people and operate from a 50,000-square-meter manufacturing facility. Our machines are supplied to textile manufacturers around the world, and we continue to participate in major international exhibitions every year.
Following ITM 2026, we will exhibit at recycling exhibitions in Belgium, Febratex Brazil, and India ITME later this year.
Read More:Â ITM 2026 Results Confirm Global Industry Confidence
How do you evaluate the current situation of the textile industry?
Osman Balkan: The global textile industry has experienced a slowdown over the past two to three years, mainly due to regional conflicts.
The Russia–Ukraine war and the recent tensions in the Middle East have created serious challenges for exporters, particularly regarding international payments and trade.
For Turkish exporters, markets such as Russia and Iran have traditionally been very important. However, sanctions and financial restrictions have made exports to these countries increasingly difficult, resulting in the loss of key export markets.
We hope these conflicts will come to an end soon so that both the Turkish and global textile industries can return to stronger growth.
How do you see opportunities in the Middle East and Africa?
Osman Balkan: Although our presence in the region is currently concentrated mainly in Egypt and Morocco, we see considerable long-term potential.
We supply machinery such as cotton cleaning systems, fiber opening equipment, and blending lines to customers in these markets.
Egypt, in particular, has become a very attractive manufacturing destination. Thanks to government incentives, many Turkish textile companies are investing there and benefiting from more competitive production conditions than those currently available in Türkiye.
The broader region, stretching from Egypt through Sudan to Kenya, is also home to some of the world’s highest-quality cotton production.
We hope continued industrial investment in these countries will strengthen their textile sectors while creating more employment opportunities across the region.
Egypt Continues to Attract Turkish Textile Investment
According to Balkan Tekstil, government incentives and competitive manufacturing conditions are encouraging more Turkish textile companies to establish production in Egypt. At the same time, the company’s continued participation in international exhibitions reflects its commitment to expanding exports despite ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges.
With nearly 50 years of manufacturing experience, Balkan Tekstil remains focused on supporting textile producers worldwide through advanced fiber preparation and textile processing technologies.
