PLASFED President Ömer Karadeniz participated in the "SMEs Talk" program broadcast on CNBC-e, becoming Alara Akgün's guest. Making important statements regarding the Turkish economy and the plastics sector, Ömer Karadeniz addressed access to finance, one of the most significant problems for industrialists, and the contraction in the manufacturing industry. The President of the umbrella organization PLASFED stated that, especially due to the difficulty in accessing finance, Turkish industrialists have reached a point where they are reducing production.
He stated that the plastics sector, being one of the most important actors in the Turkish economy, directs the country's economy with a total production exceeding 10 million tons, a turnover approaching 50 billion dollars, and direct product exports surpassing 8 billion dollars. Karadeniz noted that the Turkish plastics industry ranks second among EU countries after Germany, with 10 million tons of plastic production, and added, “According to data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), the second largest exporting sector was chemicals with 28 billion dollars. Within the product groups of chemical substances and products, the biggest support came from plastics and their products. The sector's total 11-month export data reached approximately 8.5 billion dollars.”
Stating that Turkey is not an oil country, Karadeniz explained that Turkey is an industrial country and has achieved growth with its industrial identity throughout the history of the Republic. Karadeniz emphasized that if the necessary support is given to industry and production, the winner will be the country's economy.
Karadeniz stressed that even though it may not be at the desired level when looking at 2024 as a whole, positive developments have been recorded for the plastics sector, and said, “Turkey's exports will close 2024 with growth compared to the previous year. The plastics sector will also play an important role as a significant actor in this growth.”
The President of the umbrella organization PLASFED, stating that they are a technology-intensive sector, expressed that they must bring quality in industry to the desired point. Karadeniz pointed out that if they do not have the necessary quality, their chances of entering dark factories will decrease, and said, “The world is now completely ready for Industry 4.0. We also need to take immediate steps in this regard. If we do not make progress in this area, let alone creating added value, we will face the risk of being disconnected from the world. From the moment we value production, we will already have rapidly transitioned to value-added production. We are an industrial country, a production country.”
"Industrialists struggle to access finance"
Karadeniz stated that industrialists are struggling to access finance, noting that companies operating in the sector have had to postpone their growth and investment plans for some time. Pointing out that companies have put their investment and growth plans on hold to protect existing resources and minimize costs, Karadeniz said, “Unfortunately, companies are experiencing one of their least profitable periods. In all the meetings I attend, the first sentence everyone says is about access to finance. The most important problem for companies in this period is managing cash flow and funding working capital. If we cannot do these, we will put companies in a difficult situation.”
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.