TURKEY’S BUDGET FOR ERASMUS IS GUARANTEED

Making a statement on the developments in the EU budget and Erasmus Program, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis noted that Turkey’s budget for Erasmus was under guarantee. 

The written statement published by the Ministry for EU Affairs included the following:

Recently, some media organs have published news titled such as “ Shock by the EU to those waiting for Erasmus” and Erasmus Program is scythed by the EU”. Our Ministry has found it necessary to publish this press release since such news mentioning that the budgetary cuts stemming from the financial crisis faced in the EU countries would affect the implementation of Erasmus program adversely may disappoint the students and university staff who are still benefitting from this significant program or who intend to benefit from it in the future.

The letter dated 25th September 2012 which was sent by the European Commission Directorate General for Education and Culture to the National Agency, an affiliated body of our Ministry, stated clearly that there was a problem in the payment schedule of the relevant EU budget and work was under way to deal with this situation; however, it wasn’t applicable to Turkey, Switzerland and Croatia which pay a fee to participate in the program.

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis made a statement on the issue and said: “Our country’s budget for Erasmus is under guarantee; it is not directly related with the developments in the EU budget. We pay a participation fee, some of which is covered by the national budget, in order to enable our citizens to benefit from this program. Turkey and the European Commission have already concluded agreements on the budget both for 2012 and 2013. The Commission, with an official letter, explained that the problem in the EU budget would not affect our country. Therefore, the Erasmus students and the lecturers may feel relieved.”

As known, Erasmus is one of the most significant education programs which encourages the cooperation between the higher education institutions in the participatory 33 European countries and is mostly based on the exchange of students. Turkey has been actively participated in Erasmus program since 2004 and within the framework of the budget for 2012, it has been planned that 22.000 university members in total, consisting of about 18.000 university students and 4.000 university personnel, will participate in the educational activities on training, probation, lecturing and vocational training for the periods ranging from one week to one year in various European countries. Some of these activities have been realized depending on the academic calendar and the rest will be carried out in the forthcoming months as planned.