Türkiye rebuffs allegations of misallocation of EU funds

By Dilara Hamit

Türkiye on Thursday rebuffed allegations made in some media outlets that the Turkish National Agency is misallocating funds provided by the European Union.

Since 2004, the Turkish National Agency has been providing opportunities for Turkish citizens to pursue educational, internship, and volunteer programs abroad, facilitating both individual and professional development, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

The agency has supported over 39,000 projects with grants since its inception, benefiting more than 630,000 members of the public by enabling them to gain experience and skills abroad, it said.

The ministry highlighted that grants provided through the agency are intended to support projects developed in collaboration with international partners from public institutions, the private sector, and civil society groups.

Some 46% of the funds allocated under the Erasmus+ Program have been utilized by universities, 23% by vocational schools, 15% by schools, 11% by youth organizations, and 5% by institutions involved in adult education, it said.

All applications submitted to the Turkish National Agency are evaluated by independent experts from outside the agency, and projects eligible for grants are selected accordingly, the statement said.

It also stressed that all supported activities are implemented in line with the rules published by the European Commission and under its supervision. The ministry urged the public not to pay heed to intentionally misleading news reports that seek to deceive the public.