Ömer Karadeniz, the Chairman of the Board of PLASFED, was a guest on Habertürk TV's "Para ve Ötesi" program hosted by Didem Arslanoğlu. Stating that the plastic sector has strategic importance not only in daily life but also in areas such as health, defense, and technology, Karadeniz said, "Opening the sector is actually securing Turkey's future."

Ömer Karadeniz, Chairman of PLASFED, stated that with a revenue of $50 billion and a production of 10 million tons, the Turkish plastic sector is the backbone of the Turkish economy. However, he noted that we are 90% dependent on foreign sources for raw materials. Emphasizing that this situation is unsustainable, Karadeniz said, "Turkey must produce its own raw materials. If we do not support this through access to finance, brain gain, and technology investments, we will fall behind in global competition."

Turkey ranks sixth in the world and second in Europe

Indicating that the Turkish plastic sector holds a strong position globally, Karadeniz reported that the sector shares sixth place with South Korea with an annual production of 10 million tons. He pointed out that we come second in Europe right after Germany, noting that this situation indicates how critical Turkey's position is in global competition.

Karadeniz mentioned that the sector achieved a revenue of $50 billion, with $9.5 billion directly going to exports.

Surplus in exports, significant deficit in raw materials

Reporting that $6.3 billion worth of plastic exports were made in the first eight months of 2025, Karadeniz stated that while the sector has a surplus in exports, it faces a significant deficit in raw materials: "Our export of plastic products is $4.2 billion, while our imports are $2.2 billion, resulting in a surplus of $2 billion. However, the situation is reversed for raw materials. We have $1.5 billion in exports against $6.9 billion in imports, leading to a $5.5 billion deficit. This is the largest vulnerability of the sector and the Turkish economy."

“Investment in raw materials is not an option, but a necessity”

Highlighting that Turkey's dependency of up to 90% on foreign raw materials is unsustainable, Karadeniz emphasized: "Since the 1980s, our raw material deficiency has not been resolved. While Petkim is significant, it is not sufficient on its own. Especially in engineering plastics, we have zero production. Therefore, increasing Turkey's petrochemical investments is no longer an option but a necessity. We expect our government to step in for new investments."

“Everything is for our future”

Reminding that the plastic sector has strategic significance not only in daily life but also in fields such as health, defense, and technology, Karadeniz stated, "During the pandemic, it was once again seen that plastic is at the center of life, from masks to medical devices, and from the defense industry to logistics. Plastic is everywhere, from planes' lenses to surgical materials to space technologies. Therefore, opening the sector actually secures Turkey's future. Everything is for our society, our children, and the future of our country."

Translated by Artificial Intelligence