EU funding for Erdogan's Turkey
Brussels' Schizophrenia
No one believes in full Turkish membership of the European Union in its current form. And yet the transfer of billions of euros from the EU continues. This is because EU financial aid has its own ‘logic’. In fact, it is completely independent of politics — i.e. from the accession negotiations with Ankara.
According to Claire Visier, a political scientist specialising in EU-Turkey relations and a lecturer at the University of Rennes:
I was really surprised to discover two hermetic worlds. Turkish officials, like European officials, who are in charge of or work on projects financed by European funds, sometimes don't even know which sections of the negotiations are open and what the political criteria are.
Despite the deadlock in negotiations on sections relating to the Community legislation (acquis communautaire), Turkey’s funding continues without question. Just because the European Union has vetoed several chapters does not mean that the area concerned by these chapters has not received, and is not receiving, financial support from the EU. Similarly, just because Turkey refuses to open a chapter does not mean that it does not receive subsidies for that chapter.
Civil Society
One of the European Union’s declared priorities is to support civil society and NGOs working in the field of human rights. But 82% of European funds intended for this ‘civil society’ are channelled through Turkish ministries — in other words, through Erdogan’s government.
Whether or not Turkey makes progress with its reforms and democratisation, it still receives money. There are undoubtedly administrative rents, with certain ministries managing large and extremely expensive projects. The funds have benefited the Turkish state and even allowed it to expand its sphere of action. This could even be problematic if the state is taken over by the government in power,
Claire Visier reminds us
Study published by the Patriots for Europe Foundation
