As the global textile industry navigates economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and shifting manufacturing locations, textile machinery suppliers continue to invest in technologies that improve efficiency and production quality. While demand has slowed in many markets, long-term confidence remains strong as manufacturers prepare for the next investment cycle.
At ITM 2026 in Istanbul, Behnam Ghasemi, Editor-in-Chief of Kohan Textile Journal, spoke with Ali Ozgur Erbilol from MOM Tekstil, the Turkish representative of several leading international textile machinery manufacturers, including Germany’s Erbatech. In this exclusive interview, Erbilol discusses the latest wet processing technologies, expectations for the Turkish textile industry, and why North Africa is emerging as one of the world’s most promising textile production regions.
Q&A: Ali Ozgur Erbilol on Textile Machinery, Market Recovery, and North Africa’s Rising Potential
Q: Could you introduce MOM Tekstil and the companies you represent?
Ali Ozgur Erbilol:
MOM Tekstil represents several of the world’s leading textile machinery manufacturers. One of our key partners is Erbatech, a German company specializing in continuous wet processing machinery, with all production carried out in Germany.
Erbatech is already well known worldwide for its continuous wet finishing solutions for knitted fabrics, and today its technologies are increasingly being selected for woven fabric processing as well.
Q: Which technologies are receiving the most attention at ITM 2026?
Ali Ozgur Erbilol:
Our complete product portfolio has attracted strong interest during the exhibition.
However, the best-known technologies include continuous bleaching ranges, pad-batch systems, continuous mercerizing machines, continuous washing lines, and the innovative NIP-APRE foulard, a technology originally developed by Erbatech that has become widely recognized throughout the textile industry.
Q: How do you see the future of the Turkish textile industry?
Ali Ozgur Erbilol:
Textiles remain one of Türkiye’s largest and most important industries.
Unfortunately, the sector has recently been affected by weaker global demand and the geopolitical uncertainties caused by ongoing international conflicts.
Despite the current challenges, I remain optimistic. I believe the market will recover once global economic conditions become more stable. As consumer confidence returns and people begin spending more on textile products again, demand will increase, creating new investment opportunities for manufacturers and machinery suppliers alike.
Q: Can the industry itself accelerate this recovery?
Ali Ozgur Erbilol:
Many of the factors influencing today’s market are beyond the control of individual companies.
What we hope for is greater global stability. Once economies begin growing again and consumer purchasing increases, the textile industry will naturally benefit from stronger demand and renewed investment.
We are confident that the sector will return to growth.
Q: What opportunities do you see in the Middle East and Africa?
Ali Ozgur Erbilol:
I believe the Middle East and Africa offer tremendous long-term potential for textile manufacturing.
Production costs are considerably lower than in Türkiye, making the region increasingly attractive for new investments.
In particular, North African countries—from Egypt to Morocco—as well as Syria, are likely to become major textile manufacturing hubs in the coming years.
Several countries also benefit from favorable trade agreements and customs advantages for exports to the United States, further strengthening their competitiveness.
Looking ahead over the next five to ten years, I believe textile production capacity across these regions could easily double.
Read More:Â ITM 2026 Results Confirm Global Industry Confidence
Conclusion
While short-term market conditions remain challenging, MOM Tekstil continues to focus on delivering advanced German textile finishing technologies that improve production efficiency and fabric quality. According to Ali Ozgur Erbilol, the long-term outlook remains positive, with Türkiye expected to recover alongside improving global demand, while North Africa is positioned to become one of the fastest-growing textile manufacturing regions over the next decade.
