Selçuk GÜLSÜN
Plastics Industrialists and Businessmen Association (PLASIAD)
Vice Chairman of the Board
The year 2025, which we are preparing to leave behind, was a period shaped by high interest rates, geopolitical risks, and energy costs in the global economy, where uncertainties directly affected production and trade decisions. Despite this challenging picture, Turkish industry once again demonstrated its resilient structure by preserving its production capability. The plastics industry, in particular, exhibited a remarkable performance in adapting to changing conditions and shifting towards value-added production.
In the first nine months of 2025, the pace of growth in the global economy remained weak. The continuation of strict monetary policies by the US and European central banks limited investment and consumption appetite. Geopolitical tensions created pressure on energy supply and trade routes. However, despite all these difficulties, it was a period where investments focused on green transformation and digitalization gained momentum in industrial production. Particularly, new production clusters centered in Asia and the Middle East created significant shifts in global value chains.
A balanced normalization process has begun
The Turkish economy, on the other hand, underwent a challenging balancing process in 2025. The high interest rate environment and tight monetary policy limited domestic demand while maintaining the priority of combating inflation. For exporters, the biggest challenges were the contraction in demand in Europe and rising financing costs. Despite this, industrial production showed signs of recovery in the second half of the year. Public investments, green transformation projects, and production increases stemming from the defense industry partially offset the slowdown in the economy. Looking at macroeconomic indicators, it seems possible to close 2025 with a growth of approximately 3 percent. In 2026, both financial stability is expected to strengthen and industrial production to gain momentum.
The plastics sector at the heart of transformation
The plastics sector was one of the least affected sectors by the global contraction in 2025. The main reason for this is the sector's flexible production structure and its ability to rapidly integrate into different industrial branches. Providing intermediate goods to many sectors such as packaging, automotive, healthcare, and construction, the plastics industry remained resilient against fluctuations thanks to its production diversity. Furthermore, increasing investments in recycling technologies strengthened the sector's sustainability performance. The decrease in energy costs, productivity-focused production investments, and new openings in export markets are among the promising developments for 2026. However, the sector's most important agenda will be to comply with the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). This process initiates a new period of transformation in terms of both cost and technology.
2026 expectations: New balance, new opportunities
2026 could be a year where restructuring accelerates for Turkish industry. The gradual easing of financial conditions will support production and investment, renewable energy and digital production investments will gain momentum, and diversification strategies in export markets will come to the forefront. Specifically for the plastics sector, the use of recyclable materials, energy efficiency investments, and integration into the green supply chain will constitute the main themes of 2026. During this period, companies that adopt environmentally-focused production standards early will maintain their competitive advantage.
The key to the new era: embracing transformation
2025 was a year full of challenges; however, it also showed that Turkish industrialists can quickly adapt to changing conditions. In 2026, this resilience should be replaced by strategic transformation. Strengthening stability in the economic outlook, accelerating technological renewal and green transformation investments can elevate Turkey to a stronger position in global value chains. The plastics sector is at the very center of this transformation. With the right policies, smart investments, and a vision for sustainability, Turkish industry is preparing not just for a new year, but for a new era. 2026 could be the year when production strengthens again, and transformation turns into a real development story.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.