Türkiye on Thursday refuted claims made by certain media outlets that the Turkish National Agency is misusing funds from 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 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.

Türkiye is eligible for EU financial support through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (2021-2027) and also from the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+).

Türkiye’s bid to join the EU has long been frozen due to what Ankara considers political opposition to its membership by several member states' differences, as well as differences over regional policies, namely in the Eastern Mediterranean and the ethnically split island of Cyprus. However, the bloc depends on the help of NATO member Türkiye, particularly regarding migration.

The bloc provided 6 billion euros to help Türkiye support refugees flocking to the country through its eastern borders in March 2016, during the height of the refugee crisis. It also allocated 3 billion euros ($3.33 billion) more in June 2021 to help migration management and the continued supply of basic necessities for asylum-seekers.