TURKISH NATIONAL AGENCY
Presidency
Turkey started to benefit from EU programs with the initiation of the candidacy process to the European Union at the 1999 Helsinki Summit. The Framework Agreement, which will enable Turkey to benefit from these programs, was signed on 26 February 2002, ratified by the Turkish Grand National Assembly through Law No. 4763 and entered into force on 28 June 2002 through publication in the Official Gazette. The content of the Agreement and the Decree of the Council of Ministers on which it is based were published in the Official Gazette dated September 1, 2002 after the signatures were completed.
In order to assume the role of “National Agency” in Turkey, the Department of European Union Education and Youth Programs was established within the State Planning Organization by a Council of Ministers decision in January 2002. The Central Directorate for European Union Education and Youth Programmes (Turkish National Agency) was established by the Law No. 4968 on the Amendment of the Decree Law No. 540 on the Establishment and Duties of the State Planning Organization, published in the Official Gazette No. 25191 dated 6 August 2003 and designated as an institution with legal personality and administrative-financial autonomy. In 2011, it became a related organization of the Ministry for EU Affairs with the Decree Law No. 634 and in 2018, it became a related organization of the Directorate for EU Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Presidential Decree No. 4.
In 2003, the National Agency started pilot implementations and became a full member of the EU Education and Youth Programmes on April 1, 2004 and ran the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth programmes until 2006. The Lifelong Learning and Youth Programs between 2007-2013 and the Erasmus+ Program between 2014-2020 were successfully implemented by the Turkish National Agency. The Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Programmes for 2021-2027 are also implemented by the Turkish National Agency, Directorate for EU Education and Youth Programmes.
Mission:
To ensure that European Union programs in the fields of education, youth and sports are carried out in the most effective way and that citizens and institutions benefit from these programs to the maximum extent.
Vision:
– It aims to contribute to the development of the human capital of its country at the highest level in terms of quantity and quality through education, youth and sports projects carried out in international cooperation.
– It ensures that the programs aiming to increase the personal, social and professional skills of its citizens and the capacities of its institutions and organizations reach the right target groups and new users in terms of need, efficiency and impact.
– It represents its country in the best possible way in international activities to be carried out at home and abroad, and encourages participants to recognize and promote their own culture and values correctly.
– Contributes to removing the obstacles to the internationalization of institutions and organizations in the fields of education, youth and sports to the maximum extent possible.
– Ensures that the programs are carried out in line with the development policies, priorities and 2023 vision of the country.
Values:
– Result Orientation
– Strategic Management
– Pioneering and Innovative Approach
– Reliability and Transparency
– Neutrality
– Respect for Differences
– Effectiveness and Efficiency
Areas of Work:
The Turkish National Agency carries out European Union programs in the fields of education, youth and sports and supports the internationalization of institutions/organizations in these fields. It also carries out programs aimed at improving the personal, social and professional skills of citizens and the capacities of institutions and organizations. It represents our country in international activities in Turkey and abroad and works to ensure that the country’s value is recognized in the right way.
The work activities target four main groups: Young people/youth workers, trainees, trainers, trainers and institutions/organizations. The titles of the activities carried out by the Turkish National Agency are as follows:
Learning mobility
Erasmus+ central project applications
Volunteering
National activities
Short-term training (TCA)
Internship mobility
Participating in skills competitions in program countries
Central youth applications
Partnership
On-the-job learning
Education and training assignment
Course
Support for policy reform
Accreditation
For more detailed information, click here.
Through these activities, target groups are offered the opportunity to receive education and training in another country. Furthermore, the Turkish National Agency provides grants for various actions with the aim of developing innovative policies, promoting policy dialogue and implementation, and supporting knowledge exchange in the fields of education, training and youth. It also provides opportunities for Youth Dialogues, which take place in Turkey and abroad and bring together decision-makers and young people. It gives young people aged 18-30 the opportunity to volunteer in projects that benefit society in their home count
For the official website of the Turkish National Agency, click here.
Erasmus+ is the European Union’s grant program covering education, youth, and sports for the 2021-2027 period. The program aims to provide individuals with new skills, strengthen their personal development, and increase employment opportunities, regardless of their age or educational background. Applications for the program are received and evaluated by the Turkish National Agency.