Cansu Açık, Member of the Board of Directors and Director of International Relations and Foreign Trade at Seza Cement, made important statements regarding the company’s activities in 2024 and its future plans. Açık stated that, due to the major earthquake disaster in 2023, the company prioritized the domestic market, and that it plans to shift focus to foreign markets with the acceleration of the development process in the region starting from 2025.
Although Seza Cement became one of Türkiye’s largest cement exporters in 2023, it decided to reduce its activities in foreign markets and intensify its operations in the domestic market for 2024. The company announced that it will resume exports primarily to Europe in the first quarter of 2025 but will continue focusing on the domestic market starting from the second quarter.
Cansu Açık, Seza Cement’s Board Member and Director of International Relations and Foreign Trade, emphasized the company’s commitment to the region where it was founded. “As Seza Cement, we always prioritize our country, the land we were born on. After the earthquake last year, we launched an intensive effort in the domestic market. We focused on the domestic market instead of exports. Until the region is back on its feet in 2025 and beyond, we will continue our domestic market-focused efforts. With the slowdown in construction activities during the winter months, we plan to turn to foreign markets, particularly Europe, in the first quarter of 2025. However, we aim to return to the domestic market starting from the second quarter,” she said.
Regarding the competitive environment abroad, Açık highlighted that energy subsidies in countries such as Morocco and Egypt pose a significant obstacle for Turkish producers. She also noted that the earthquake had damaged the railway infrastructure, resulting in increased logistics costs. Açık viewed investments such as the new locomotive factory by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Türkiye Abdulkadir Uraloğlu as a positive development.
Seza Cement’s future investment plans include increasing production capacity and focusing on green transformation. In 2025, the company aims to increase its clinker and cement production capacity at its existing plant. Açık also stated that traditional cement types will be limited in public tenders to encourage the use of low-carbon emission green cement, and that research and development efforts will continue to increase the production share of green cement.
Açık also drew attention to investments in digitalization and sustainability, noting that the company would invest in smart technologies to improve energy efficiency in its production processes, and new robotic systems will be implemented. These investments, which will use robotic technologies in areas such as labeling, packaging, loading, and shipping, are aimed at increasing Seza Cement’s competitiveness in the sector.
