At ITM 2026, Kohan Textile Journal spoke with Alican Alkim Sar and Ali Erdem Erner from ERA Mümessillik, the official representative of Zimmer Austria in Türkiye. During the interview, they shared insights into the rapid development of Türkiye’s digital carpet printing industry, the strategic importance of Gaziantep, and why the country’s skilled workforce continues to attract investment despite current market challenges.
Q&A
Q: How do you evaluate the current investment climate for digital textile printing in Türkiye?
Alican Alkim Sar: The market has experienced a slower period, but we remain optimistic. As regional conditions improve and geopolitical tensions ease, investment activity—particularly in Gaziantep’s carpet industry—is continuing.
Gaziantep remains the city with the highest concentration of carpet manufacturing machinery, not only in Türkiye but also globally. This creates major advantages for both manufacturers and technology suppliers. Having so many machines operating within the same region allows us to provide faster technical service, stronger spare parts support, and closer customer relationships.
Q: Why has Gaziantep become such an important center for digital carpet printing?
Alican Alkim Sar: One of the biggest developments over the past few years has been the emergence of Gaziantep as a true digital printing hub.
Ten years ago, digital printing knowledge in the region was very limited. Today, the city has developed a growing ecosystem of skilled operators, technicians, engineers, and production managers who understand digital textile printing technologies.
This expanding talent pool is extremely important because successful investments depend not only on purchasing advanced machinery but also on having qualified people who can operate and manage these technologies efficiently.
Today, 13 Zimmer Colaris digital printing machines are operating in Gaziantep, and the number of experienced professionals continues to increase. This creates confidence for companies considering future investments.
Q: Are Turkish manufacturers investing in larger digital printing capacities?
Ali Erdem Erner: Yes. We are seeing manufacturers increase their digital printing capacity as demand grows.
Today, two Turkish companies—Kevser and Balat—are among the first factories in the world to operate three Zimmer Colaris digital printing machines within a single facility. This demonstrates the confidence that Turkish carpet manufacturers have in digital production technologies.
Other companies are also preparing similar investments, which further strengthens Türkiye’s position as a global leader in carpet manufacturing and digital textile printing.
Q: What is your outlook for the Turkish textile printing industry?
Alican Alkim Sar: We believe the market has strong long-term potential.
Although the textile industry is currently experiencing slower business conditions, many manufacturers are already preparing their investment plans for the coming years. Companies understand that when market conditions improve, they need to be ready with the right technologies and production capabilities.
As economic conditions stabilize and trade-related challenges become easier, we expect investment activity in digital textile printing to accelerate further.
Gaziantep Continues to Strengthen Its Global Position
According to ERA Mümessillik, Gaziantep’s concentration of advanced digital carpet printing technology, combined with its growing pool of experienced professionals, is creating one of the world’s most dynamic ecosystems for carpet manufacturing.
With continued investment in Zimmer Austria’s Colaris technology and increasing technical expertise throughout the region, Türkiye remains well positioned to maintain its leadership in digital carpet printing while expanding its competitiveness in international textile markets.
