“ITM 2026 Lifted the Gloom Hanging Over the Industry”

Haluk Akın, President of the Garment Automation Machinery Manufacturers Association (KOMİD), stated that ITM 2026 exceeded expectations and served as a significant source of motivation for the industry. Emphasizing the strong interest shown by visitors from many countries, particularly India, Pakistan, and Iran, Akın noted that Turkish machinery manufacturers achieved substantial sales during the exhibition and that the stagnation felt across the sector for a long time had given way to renewed optimism and dynamism.

Akın underlined that the Turkish machinery industry has made significant progress in artificial intelligence, automation, and software technologies, describing ITM 2026 as a true “lifeline” for the sector.

As in all industries, the textile and apparel sectors have faced economic fluctuations, rising costs, and global uncertainties in recent years. How important do you think the ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition is for the industry during this challenging period?

We witnessed a level of interest far beyond our expectations. Visitors came from India, Pakistan, and Iran. Yes, we are operating in a challenging environment, but we have seen that these adverse conditions did not significantly affect the exhibition. That is highly encouraging for us.

During the exhibition, we heard of Turkish machinery manufacturers achieving very substantial sales, which made us extremely pleased. We do not have a problem when it comes to selling abroad. This exhibition has been organized for many years and has firmly established itself as an international event. Before the show, there were many negative comments about unfavorable conditions and the difficult market environment. However, today we can clearly see that most of those concerns proved unfounded. We have completed a highly successful exhibition that has left us very satisfied.

Which export markets are currently standing out for the textile and garment machinery sector?

Everyone talks about Egypt, but it is not only Egypt. Garment production is now expanding across many regions. India is an important market, Bangladesh is an important market, and Pakistan is an important market. Even Spain has begun to re-emerge as a market, while Portugal is experiencing a revival. In fact, we have Portuguese visitors at the exhibition today.

There is no overwhelmingly negative picture. Of course, the world is facing economic challenges and uncertainty. However, we do not believe—or rather, we do not wish—these conditions to persist for a long time. Pessimism is simply not in our nature. As Turkish machinery manufacturers, we have always fought through challenges and have faced similar difficulties before. The current exchange rate pressure is certainly exhausting, but we believe conditions will eventually stabilize, and we will continue moving forward.

How do you think ITM 2026 will contribute to access to markets across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North Africa, the Turkic Republics, and Asia through the visitors it attracts?

All previous editions of ITM have been highly successful. Tüyap and Teknik Fuarcılık manage this event in an extremely professional manner. They have never abandoned promotional efforts or reduced their budgets because of a crisis. For that reason, we are grateful to both Tüyap and Teknik Fuarcılık.

Throughout the exhibition, we clearly saw the results of their international promotional activities. ITM is one of the three leading exhibitions in the world in this field. In our opinion, it is actually the number one event. One of the key reasons is Türkiye’s visa-free accessibility. Visitors often face serious visa-related difficulties when attending similar exhibitions in Europe. Our customer base comes from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and many other developing countries. This gives ITM a tremendous advantage.

How do you evaluate the contribution of ITM 2026 to the garment machinery sector in Türkiye and worldwide?

We evaluate this from a two-year cycle perspective. ITM is organized every two years, and each edition delivers significant results.

The garment machinery segment is somewhat different. For this reason, we organized a separate event under the Garment Tech Exhibition last year and plan to hold its second edition next year. By alternating between ITM one year and a dedicated garment machinery exhibition the next, we aim to maintain Türkiye’s strength in textile and garment industry exhibitions.

As KOMİD, we strongly support this strategy. TEMSAD shares the same vision. There is absolutely no reason why these exhibitions should not continue.

How does organizing ITM in Istanbul influence the visitor and exhibitor profile?

Istanbul is already an extremely important hub. This exhibition has a long-standing history and proven sustainability in the city. With the support of Teknik Fuarcılık and Tekstil Teknoloji magazine, we have successfully maintained these events over the years.

Although there are currently some challenges related to hotel and living costs, we believe these are temporary. Istanbul has always ranked among the leading exhibition destinations and will continue to strengthen its position in the future.

Digitalization, automation, AI-supported production systems, and sustainability are now among the industry’s key priorities. How do you evaluate the technologies showcased at ITM 2026?

As Turkish machinery manufacturers, we have started producing many technological machines that had never previously been developed elsewhere in the world. Frankly, it is somewhat frustrating when people still ask, “Are these really made by Turks?”

We produce highly successful machines. In software development and in the integration of artificial intelligence into machinery, the Turkish machinery sector is advancing to a very strong position. I firmly believe that this success will continue to grow in the coming years.

If you had to describe ITM 2026 in a single word, what word would you choose?

For some time, the industry had been weighed down by what we might call a sense of stagnation and pessimism. We had been feeling it particularly since November. However, with ITM 2026, I can say that we finally shook off that gloom. This exhibition has been a real lifeline and a fresh source of energy for us.