Turkish Insulation Material Manufacturers

Quick answer

Stone wool, glass wool, EPS and XPS boards, PIR and PUR, sandwich panel cores and technical HVAC insulation - CE marked under the new Construction Products Regulation, inside the EU Customs Union and days away by road.

CPR (EU) 2024/3110

New EU rule

8 January 2026

Applies since

EN 13501-1

Fire classification

Customs Union

EU tariff status

Why Insulation Is Sourced from Turkey

Insulation is a bulky, low-density, freight-sensitive product, and that single fact shapes the whole trade. A container of insulation board fills up by volume long before it reaches its weight limit, so the distance between the plant and the site matters more here than in almost any other building material. Turkey sits inside the EU Customs Union and within road-freight range of most of Europe, the Balkans, North Africa and the Gulf, which is why it has attracted both domestic groups and the European insulation majors to build plants there rather than export into the region from further away.

The domestic market is the second reason the industry is deep. Turkey has had mandatory thermal insulation requirements for buildings for many years, and a large, continuous construction programme behind them, so the country runs stone wool, glass wool, expanded and extruded polystyrene, polyurethane and technical insulation lines at scale rather than as niche products. That means a buyer can usually get an entire specification, from the facade system to the roof to the pipework, from suppliers within a few hours of each other.

The regulatory context changed at the start of this year and it is the thing most buyers have not yet caught up with. Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, the new Construction Products Regulation, entered into force on 18 December 2024 and has applied since 8 January 2026, replacing the framework that has governed CE marking of construction products for over a decade. It keeps the declaration of performance at the centre but adds environmental performance across the life cycle and a digital product passport reachable through a data carrier on the product. For anyone signing multi-year supply agreements, that belongs in the contract now.

What Turkish Insulation Plants Actually Make

Seven families cover almost every insulation enquiry, and each sits under its own harmonised standard with its own fire class. Read the ones that match your build-up before comparing prices.

Stone Wool

Melted rock spun into fibre, made to EN 13162 alongside glass wool. Its defining property is fire behaviour: stone wool typically achieves Euroclass A1, the highest reaction-to-fire classification, which is why it dominates facade, firestop and industrial applications where combustibility is the deciding factor. Declared thermal conductivity generally sits in the region of 0.034 to 0.040 W/mK depending on density. Higher density boards give better compressive behaviour and acoustic performance but cost more and weigh more to ship.

Glass Wool

Also covered by EN 13162, made from melted glass with a high recycled cullet content, and usually the cheapest way to reach a given thermal resistance in a cavity or a roof. It is lighter than stone wool, compresses far more for transport, which materially reduces freight cost per square metre, and typically achieves Euroclass A1 or A2 depending on the binder and any facing. It is not a load-bearing product, so it belongs in frames, cavities and lofts rather than under screed or behind a rendered facade.

Expanded Polystyrene

EPS to EN 13163 is the volume product of the external insulation market, cheap, light and easy to handle, with declared thermal conductivity typically in the region of 0.031 to 0.038 W/mK depending on grade and any graphite addition. Grey graphite-loaded EPS reaches lower lambda values at the same thickness. The critical point is fire: unmodified EPS is a combustible product, generally Euroclass E, and its use on facades is restricted or conditioned in many national rules. Specify the fire class and check the national requirement before assuming a system is acceptable.

Extruded Polystyrene

XPS to EN 13164 is the closed-cell board used where water and load are present: inverted roofs, perimeter and basement insulation, under screed and in cold storage floors. It offers low water absorption and high compressive strength, with lambda typically around 0.029 to 0.036 W/mK. Two things to check specifically. First, compressive strength class, because this is usually why XPS was chosen. Second, the blowing agent and flame retardant, since the historic hexabromocyclododecane flame retardant has been phased out under persistent organic pollutant rules and replaced with polymeric alternatives.

PIR and PUR Boards

Polyisocyanurate and polyurethane boards to EN 13165 give the best thermal performance per millimetre of any mainstream insulant, with lambda values commonly around 0.022 to 0.028 W/mK, which is why they are used where thickness is constrained: flat roofs, floors, and as the core of sandwich panels. Fire performance depends heavily on formulation and facing, so the Euroclass has to be read from the declaration rather than assumed. PIR generally performs better in fire than PUR, and the facing is part of the classified system rather than a separate item.

Sandwich Panel Cores and Roof Systems

Much of the insulation made in Turkey does not ship as board at all but as the core of a self-supporting sandwich panel with steel facings, used for industrial buildings, cold rooms and warehouses. Those panels are covered by their own harmonised standard and the whole panel is the CE marked product, not the core, so the declaration of performance covers the assembly. If you are buying panels rather than insulation, ask for the panel declaration and not the core material data sheet.

Technical and HVAC Insulation

Elastomeric rubber and polyethylene foam for pipework, ducting and chilled systems, plus preformed pipe sections in mineral wool for high temperature service. This is a different business from building insulation, sold to mechanical contractors rather than facade contractors, and specified on temperature range, water vapour diffusion resistance and fire class rather than on thermal resistance alone. Condensation control rather than heat loss is usually the actual design driver on chilled and refrigeration pipework.

The Documents That Decide Whether a Product Can Be Used

Insulation is a regulated construction product, so the paperwork is the product. The rules changed on 8 January 2026 and long-term contracts should say so.

(EU) 2024/3110

The new Construction Products Regulation

The new CPR entered into force on 18 December 2024 and has applied since 8 January 2026, replacing the previous framework. It keeps the declaration of performance and CE marking at the centre but adds environmental sustainability performance across the life cycle and introduces a digital product passport, accessible electronically through a data carrier on the product and open to buyers and authorities. Any long-term supply agreement signed now should say explicitly who is responsible for producing that documentation.

Declaration of Performance

The document that actually matters

For a construction product the declaration of performance is the legally meaningful document, not a test report or a brochure. It states the product type, the intended use, the harmonised technical specification it was assessed against, the assessment and verification system used, and the declared value for each essential characteristic. Ask for the DoP first and read it against your specification. A supplier who sends a data sheet instead of a DoP is either not CE marking the product or does not understand what you asked for.

EN 13501-1

Reaction to fire and Euroclasses

This is the classification standard behind the Euroclasses from A1 through F, plus the smoke and flaming droplet sub-classes written as s and d. Stone wool and most glass wool reach A1 or A2; unmodified EPS is normally class E; PIR and PUR vary widely with formulation and facing. Since Grenfell, national rules on facades have tightened in many European countries, and the acceptable class often depends on building height and use rather than on the product alone. Check the national requirement, not just the product class.

EN 13162 - 13171

Harmonised product standards and lambda

Each insulation family has its own harmonised standard: EN 13162 for mineral wool, EN 13163 for EPS, EN 13164 for XPS, EN 13165 for PU and PIR, and further standards for phenolic foam, cellular glass, cork and wood fibre. These define how declared thermal conductivity, compressive strength, water absorption and dimensional stability are measured and declared. Always compare declared lambda values, written as lambda D, rather than measured or typical values, because only the declared figure is comparable between suppliers.

AVCP & notified bodies

Who verifies the factory

Construction products are assessed under an assessment and verification of constancy of performance system that determines how much third-party involvement is required. For most insulation this means a notified body has certified the factory production control and audits it, and the certificate number appears with the CE mark. Ask which notified body, check the certificate is current, and check that the scope covers the specific product and plant you are buying from rather than another line in the same group.

REACH & POPs

Flame retardants and legacy substances

The historic brominated flame retardant used in polystyrene insulation has been restricted under persistent organic pollutant rules and replaced across the industry with polymeric alternatives, but legacy material still circulates in some markets and is a demolition waste issue rather than a new-build one. For new supply, ask for the flame retardant system by name in the technical documentation. Blowing agents are the parallel question on XPS and PIR, both for regulatory reasons and for declared lambda stability over time.

EPD & EN 15804

Environmental declarations

Environmental product declarations prepared to EN 15804 are already required by many European specifiers and green building schemes, and the new CPR pulls environmental performance into the mandatory declaration itself. A supplier who already holds verified EPDs for the products you are buying is materially easier to work with under the new regime than one who does not. Ask whether the EPD is product specific or an industry average, because specifiers increasingly distinguish between them.

Where Turkish Insulation Is Made

On a product this bulky, where the plant sits decides landed cost as much as the price does. These are the four clusters and what each is genuinely for.

Marmara industrial belt

The Kocaeli, Tekirdag and Istanbul corridor holds the largest concentration of insulation manufacturing in the country, along with the chemical and steel supply that feeds it. This is where both Turkish groups and the European insulation majors have concentrated capacity, and it is the natural region for European-bound orders because it sits closest to the road routes through the Balkans and to the Marmara ports. Expect the most mature documentation and notified body relationships here.

Aegean and Izmir

A significant secondary cluster with good port access at Izmir and Aliaga, serving both the domestic western market and export. Polystyrene converting in particular is well represented, because the raw polymer arrives by sea and the finished board is bulky, which favours converting near the port. For a buyer shipping by sea rather than by road, this region often works out better on landed cost than the northwest despite similar ex-works prices.

Central Anatolia

Ankara, Eskisehir and the surrounding organised industrial zones host insulation and building material production oriented mainly toward the domestic market and toward the eastern and central regions. Costs can be lower than in the Marmara belt, but inland haulage to a port adds a real cost on a low-density product, so the saving often disappears on an export order. This region makes more sense for large projects in the interior or for buyers who are already consolidating other material inland.

Mersin, Adana and the south

The southern belt combines industrial capacity with direct access to Mersin, which is the main port for the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf trade. For buyers in those markets this is usually the right region, both for sea freight and because suppliers here are used to the documentation those destinations require. It also serves the large construction and reconstruction demand in the south and east of the country, which keeps the lines loaded.

How to Source Insulation from Turkey

Six steps in the order that stops a specification failing on fire class or a container leaving half empty.

1
Start from the fire class, not the lambda
Decide the required reaction-to-fire class first, because it eliminates whole product families before thermal performance is even discussed. Facade requirements in particular now depend on building height and use in most European countries, and a system that is acceptable on a two-storey warehouse may be prohibited on a residential tower. Get the national requirement for the actual building, then choose from the products that satisfy it.
2
Ask for the declaration of performance first
Request the DoP before samples or prices. Check that the harmonised standard cited matches the product family, that the declared values cover every characteristic in your specification, that the intended use matches your application, and that the notified body number is present and current. A DoP that omits a characteristic you need means the manufacturer has declared no performance for it, which is different from the performance being adequate.
3
Compare declared lambda, thickness and area
Compare products on declared thermal conductivity, written lambda D, not on typical or measured values, and then convert to the thickness needed for your target thermal resistance. The cheapest board per cubic metre is frequently not the cheapest way to reach a U-value, because a higher performing product needs less thickness and therefore less volume to ship and less depth in the build-up. Do this calculation before comparing prices, not after.
4
Price the freight by volume
Insulation cubes out a container long before it reaches the weight limit, so the meaningful comparison is landed cost per square metre at the required thickness, not price per cubic metre ex works. Compressible products such as glass wool ship far more efficiently than rigid boards. Ask how many square metres at your thickness fit in a truck or container, and let that number rather than the ex-works quotation drive the shortlist.
5
Confirm system compatibility, not just the board
Insulation rarely performs alone. For external systems the adhesive, mesh, fixings, base coat and render are part of an assessed system, and mixing components between suppliers can invalidate both the assessment and the warranty. For roofs and sandwich panels the whole assembly is the declared product. Ask whether you are buying a component or a system, and if it is a system, get the assessment covering that exact combination.
6
Write the new CPR into the contract
Since 8 January 2026 the new Construction Products Regulation applies, adding environmental performance to the declaration and introducing a digital product passport reachable through a data carrier on the product. On a multi-year framework agreement, state explicitly who produces and maintains that documentation, what happens when a harmonised standard is replaced, and who bears the cost of re-declaration. This is far cheaper to agree at contract stage than to argue about later.

Turkish Insulation Sourcing FAQ

What contractors, distributors and specifiers ask before a first order.

Which insulation gives the best performance per millimetre?

PIR and PUR boards, with declared thermal conductivity commonly around 0.022 to 0.028 W/mK, followed by graphite-loaded EPS and XPS in the region of 0.029 to 0.036, then mineral wool around 0.034 to 0.040 depending on density. That ranking reverses completely on fire performance, where stone wool typically reaches Euroclass A1 and unmodified polystyrene is normally class E. There is no single best product, only the best product for a given fire requirement, thickness limit and load condition.

What actually changed with the new Construction Products Regulation?

Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 entered into force on 18 December 2024 and has applied since 8 January 2026. The declaration of performance and CE marking remain, but manufacturers must now also declare environmental sustainability performance across the product life cycle, and a digital product passport must be accessible electronically through a data carrier on the product and open to buyers and authorities. It does not change how insulation is made; it changes what documentation has to exist and who maintains it.

Is there customs duty on Turkish insulation entering the EU?

No. Insulation materials are industrial goods under the EU-Turkey Customs Union, so a shipment with a valid A.TR movement certificate enters the European Union free of customs duty, with import VAT applying as normal. That, combined with road freight measured in days, is the core commercial argument for the origin on a product where transport is such a large share of landed cost.

Can I use EPS on a facade?

It depends entirely on the national rule for the specific building, not on the product. Unmodified EPS is normally Euroclass E, a combustible product, and many European countries now restrict or condition combustible insulation on facades above certain building heights or for certain occupancies. Where it is permitted, it is usually as part of an assessed external thermal insulation composite system with defined fire barriers rather than as a board on its own. Check the national requirement for the actual building first.

What is a declaration of performance and why does it matter more than a test report?

It is the manufacturer's legal declaration of what the product performs at, issued against a harmonised technical specification, and it is what CE marking rests on. A test report shows what one sample did on one day; a declaration commits the manufacturer to that value for the product, backed by factory production control and, for most insulation, by a notified body audit. If you take one document from a supplier, take the DoP.

How do I compare quotations fairly?

Convert everything to the same thermal resistance. Take the declared lambda D value, calculate the thickness needed to reach your target U-value or R-value, and then price per square metre at that thickness delivered to site. A board that costs more per cubic metre can be cheaper per square metre of finished wall, and it will also ship more efficiently because you need less volume. Comparing prices per cubic metre or per pack is how buyers end up with the wrong product.

What are realistic minimum orders and lead times?

Think in full trucks or containers per product and thickness, because insulation is a volume product and mixed loads of many thicknesses are inefficient to load and to price. Standard products in standard thicknesses are frequently available from stock or within two to three weeks; bespoke thicknesses, densities, facings or cut sizes add lead time because they interrupt a continuous line. Sandwich panels are made to order and run longer than board.

Should I buy boards or a complete system?

If the insulation is part of an external wall system, buy the system. The adhesive, fixings, mesh, base coat and finish are assessed as a combination, and substituting a component from another supplier can invalidate both the technical assessment and any warranty, and in a fire investigation it is the first thing examined. Buy boards on their own where the insulation genuinely is a standalone component, such as cavity or loft insulation.

What should I check about flame retardants and blowing agents?

For polystyrene, ask which flame retardant system is used, since the historic brominated retardant has been restricted under persistent organic pollutant rules and replaced with polymeric alternatives across the industry. For XPS and PIR, ask about the blowing agent, both because of the environmental regulations that apply to it and because it affects how the declared lambda value behaves over time. Both answers should be in the technical documentation rather than requiring a special request.

Do Turkish plants supply European specifiers directly?

Yes, and the larger ones are set up for it, holding CE marking with notified body certification, environmental product declarations and the system assessments that specifiers ask for. Several European insulation groups also manufacture in Turkey, which means some material sold under familiar European brands is made there. The practical test is not the flag on the plant but whether the declaration of performance and the notified body certificate cover the specific product and line you are buying from.

Related Turkish Manufacturing Categories

Insulation is one part of a building envelope package. The wider base sits at Turkish construction material manufacturers. For the steel facings and structure that carry it see Turkish steel manufacturers, for aluminium systems and facade profiles see Turkish aluminium manufacturers, for PVC profiles and membranes see Turkish PVC manufacturers, and for the cement and screeds the insulation sits under see Turkish cement suppliers.

The chemistry around insulation matters as much as the board. For adhesives, base coats and sealants that make an external system work see Turkish adhesive and sealant manufacturers, for renders, mortars, waterproofing and admixtures see Turkish construction chemicals manufacturers, and for protective and facade coatings see Turkish industrial paint manufacturers. For the polymer raw materials behind EPS, XPS and PIR see Turkish chemical manufacturers, and for A.TR documents, road freight and Incoterms see export logistics and FOB ports.