Alper Çifçi · Business Development & Sales · Meteksan · Power to Print

At Canon’s Power to Move event in Venlo, Morten B. Reitoft speaks with Alper Çifçi, Deputy General Manager of Meteksan, one of Turkey’s largest and most diversified printing companies.

With approximately 400 employees and deep roots in both secure printing and educational publishing, Meteksan occupies a unique position in the Turkish market. Çifçi explains how his own journey from production management to business development has given him a practical understanding of both manufacturing operations and the strategic decisions required to guide a modern printing business through a rapidly changing industry.

A significant part of the discussion focuses on Meteksan’s role in producing secure examination materials and educational content for Turkey. Operating under strict security requirements, the company has developed extensive expertise in managing highly sensitive print production workflows. Beyond its domestic activities, Çifçi also sees opportunities for Turkish know-how to support educational and examination printing initiatives in other regions, including Africa, where demand for localized secure printing capabilities continues to grow.

The conversation then turns to one of Meteksan’s newest initiatives: book-of-one production. Working in collaboration with a government university, the company has launched a project that combines digital printing, efficient distribution, and sustainability objectives. Located in Ankara, Meteksan benefits from a central position that supports nationwide distribution, reduces transportation requirements, and improves responsiveness.

As publishing markets continue to evolve, Çifçi believes digital printing has become increasingly important. Growing title counts, changing demand patterns, and the need for greater flexibility are pushing publishers toward digital production models that would have been difficult to justify only a few years ago. For Meteksan, this creates opportunities to expand both its publishing services and its production capabilities.

The discussion also explores the technologies showcased at Canon’s Customer Experience Center, including the VarioPress iV7 and the ProStream platform. Çifçi explains why the combination of high-quality sheetfed inkjet and high-volume roll-fed inkjet is particularly attractive for a company serving both educational publishing and commercial print markets. The ability to match production methods to specific applications while maintaining quality and efficiency is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage.

Beyond technology, the conversation touches on Turkey’s unique economic and geographic position. Situated between Europe and Asia, Turkey continues to serve as an important bridge between markets, cultures, and business opportunities. Despite economic challenges and periods of high inflation, Çifçi remains optimistic about growth opportunities, emphasizing that continued investment and business development are essential for companies that want to strengthen their position in the years ahead.

Recorded at Canon’s Power to Move event in Venlo, this interview offers insight into the ambitions of one of Turkey’s leading print providers and highlights the growing role digital printing is playing in the transformation of educational publishing and secure print production.