Commission signs €400 million agreement with Türkiye to support its recovery after the 2023 earthquakes

Today, the Commission signed an agreement with Türkiye on a €400 million grant from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to finance post-disaster recovery operations after the devastating earthquakes that hit the country in early 2023.

The signing of the agreement took place in Brussels, between Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira and Turkish Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mehmet Kemal Bozay.

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said: “This catastrophe, one of the worst in the country's history, shocked us all as we saw the devastating effects it had on the Turkish people. Across Europe, there was an outpouring of sympathy for the lives lost and the homes destroyed.  It is no surprise then that this is the largest amount ever awarded by the EU Solidarity Fund to a candidate country. It is also the first time for Türkiye to receive EUSF aid. When support is needed, Europe responds – not only for its Member States, but also for its neighbours. The EUSF is all about standing in solidarity with countries and people”.

This is the largest financial contribution awarded under the EUSF for a candidate country since its inception in 2002, and it is part of the €1 billion support that the EU announced for Türkiye in March 2023 at the International Donors' Conference. The Conference, co-hosted by the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council, helped to raise a total of €7 billion in pledges for those affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.

Today's grant worth a total of €400 million is part of an EU Solidarity Fund package adopted by the Commission on 23 August 2023, and will further support Türkiye in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

The press release and the statement made by Commissioner Ferreira at the signature event are available online.

(For more information: Adalbert Jahnz – Tel.: +32 2 295 31 56; Laetitia Close – Tel.: +32 2 296 70 73)