INTERVIEW: Clinker emerges as standout success for Turkish cement in 2025: Ender Sahin

The Turkish cement industry experienced a remarkable resurgence in 2025, marking its best performance in the past five years. However, intensified competition in key export markets and ongoing challenges such as foreign exchange volatility and regulatory shifts like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism remain a concern for 2026.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, interviewed Ender Sahin, who recently took on the role of president of Turkish Cement, a semi-governmental association representing cement producers and exporters in Turkey, to discuss how one of the largest cement exporters in the world is tackling issues regarding sustainability, CBAM, inflation and competition.

The following interview has been edited for clarity.

Platts: How was 2025 for the Turkish cement industry, and what are your expectations for 2026?

2025 marked the strongest performance for Turkish cement producers in the past five years, fueled by a remarkable rebound in the domestic market -- particularly in the Southeast region. Significant government investment in infrastructure projects across this area drove cement demand to new heights, allowing factories to focus on serving local needs rather than relying on export markets.

Despite the robust domestic recovery, Turkish cement producers faced intensified competition in key export markets, particularly from Egypt, Algeria, and Vietnam. The absence of demand from Israel, combined with slower-than-expected openings in Syria and Ukraine, posed additional challenges. Nonetheless, exporters remained optimistic, as quality-focused clients continued to source from Turkey, while price-driven buyers sought alternatives. Turkey's superior logistics, widely recognized by customers, remain a major advantage -- some ports can load ships within a single day, which sets us apart from our competitors.

Even our Black Sea producers, who were previously hampered by high freight costs, saw a resurgence in exports to Romania, Bulgaria, and Georgia in 2025.

We expect our clinker exports to surge by 79% year over year, reaching 7.2 million metric tons in 2025 from 4 million mt in 2024, largely due to operational issues in Algeria and Egypt. Cement exports are also expected to rise by 5%, totaling 16.2 million mt compared with 15.6 million mt in 2024.

Clinker has emerged as a standout success for Turkish cement in 2025, with prices outpacing those of our competitors. Many companies are already fully booked for next year.

Looking to 2026, export volumes will vary by factory; those designed for overseas markets will continue exporting, while others may focus on the lucrative domestic market due to high demand and better prices. Anticipated market openings in Israel, Syria, and Ukraine could potentially boost exports; however, without them, volumes are likely to remain flat or experience only modest growth, reaching around 8 million mt. Should these markets materialize, exports could increase by up to 2 million mt.

Platts: Asian producers started targeting Turkey's traditional supply markets this year. How do you foresee competition shaping up in 2026?

One of the biggest challenges is that Asian producers continue to sell at low prices, and with China also looking to increase its exports, it poses a threat to our traditional markets, such as West Africa.

In 2025, we didn't want to engage in a price war with Asia, but if demand in the domestic market falls and we don't gain significant traction from Israel or Syria, then Turkish producers have the margin to lower prices, and we have the power to do so. This year, we didn't have to do it, so we didn't.

For 2026, all producers are satisfied with the contract prices and volume, which is a big win for us.

Platts: What are the challenges facing the Turkish cement industry, and what are you doing to mitigate CBAM risks?

Challenges persist, particularly with foreign exchange volatility impacting costs, tariff pressures, and new uncertainties arising from the EU's CBAM regulations. Some customers have already indicated that CBAM could add Eur15-20/mt to the cost of Turkish imports, although supply shortages within Europe will likely ensure continued demand.

I expect some impact on our exports to Europe next year due to the uncertainty surrounding CBAM. Verification remains key, and the Turkish government has mandated that all reported values are accurate. This is one of the most important subjects for the Turkish Cement industry.

Sustainability is also a growing focus. Supported by government initiatives, all Turkish cement factories now have sustainability departments and are implementing technologies like waste heat recovery, solar, and recycling to reduce emissions.

However, our newest and most modern plants still have significantly higher emissions than those in Europe. This is largely because they have been working on reducing their emissions for the last 20-30 years, whereas we have only begun to address this issue in the last 2-3 years. However, we are serious about it, and I am hopeful that Turkey's carbon emissions will decrease.