How the organization meddled into Turkish politics and what can be done to prevent it.
How the organization meddled into Turkish politics and what can be done to prevent it.
By Serdar Üsküplü
The recent decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to shut down USAID has sparked a public debate about U.S. funding. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is not a humanitarian aid organization as it is often portrayed, but rather one of the tools of U.S. hegemony. Established in 1961 by then U.S. President Kennedy, USAID is known as America’s “Soft Power” and operates as an executor of the CIA’s covert operations. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it has served as a funder of color revolutions targeting independent states. With an annual budget of $58 billion, USAID is the largest influence agency of the United States.
Strategy: Funds from NED, Execution from USAID
At the top of influence agent activities in Türkiye is the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a U.S. government institution. Known as the second CIA worldwide, NED and its affiliated organizations—the International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)—have been conducting influence agent activities in Türkiye for over thirty years. One of NED’s largest funding sources is USAID.
NED, using funds provided by USAID, has played significant roles in the fragmentation of Yugoslavia, the color revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine, and has supported counter-revolutionary movements in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. Wherever there has been a coup, color revolution, or regime change serving U.S. interests, USAID and a shower of dollars have been present.
According to the U.S. State Department’s 2023 financial report, USAID allocated $3.2 billion (115 billion TL) in its 2023 budget for so-called “promoting democracy.” This money is transferred to collaborators worldwide through front organizations like the Chrest Foundation in the U.S. and EU funds.
One of the main funders of influence agent activities in Türkiye is the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Strategic cooperation agreements were signed between SIDA and USAID in 2013. USAID funds are channeled to Türkiye through SIDA.
According to reports from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SIDA has transferred 1.75 billion TL to Turkish media, civil society organizations, and activists between 2021 and 2025.
Interference in Turkish Elections Using USAID Funds
Damon Wilson, President of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), confessed under oath during a session of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 28, 2023, that they interfered in the May 14, 2023, elections, operating within a secret organization and providing financial assistance to certain entities whose names were concealed. These sworn statements were published on the official website of the U.S. Congress (www.foreign.senate.gov). USAID funds were used in these interventions. The Vatan Party disclosed the American deep state’s interference in Turkish elections with documented evidence on August 20, 2024.
Some of the funded associations and media organizations are as follows:
Bianet: Received 335 million TL from SIDA between 2007-2023. It will receive an additional 67.5 million TL for the 2024-2026 period.
Medyascope: Received 19 million TL from the Chrest Foundation, 1.9 million TL from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and 2 million TL from SIDA between 2016-2022. It is also supported by the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Guardian Foundation, New Media Academy, and Digital Media Research Association: Received 50.7 million TL from SIDA under the Independent Turkish Media Incubation Center Project to train Turkish journalists and candidates.
Newslab Türkiye: Provided training and consultancy to 96 media organizations between 2019-2023 using funds from the Swedish government.
Denge Denetleme Ağı: Received 84 million TL from the Swedish government between 2018-2023.
Oy ve Ötesi Derneği: Received 4 million TL from SIDA and additional funds from the U.S. State Department, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swiss Embassy, and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Gofor (Youth Organizations Forum): Received 16.3 million TL from SIDA in 2022-2023.
KAMER Foundation: Received 277 million TL from the Swedish government between 2005-2023.
Kadın Adayları Destekleme Derneği (KA-DER): Received 96 million TL from SIDA between 2010-2024.
Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter: Received 58.6 million TL from SIDA between 2020-2023 and will receive an additional 73 million TL for the 2024-2027 period.
Cinsel Şiddetle Mücadele Derneği: Funded by SIDA with 58 million TL.
KAMER Foundation: Received 277 million TL from the Swedish government and 11.4 million TL from the Chrest Foundation between 2005-2023.
Kaos GL: Received 198 million TL from SIDA between 2013-2024 and will receive an additional 112 million TL from Sweden for the 2024-2028 period.
A State Weakness
Bribes flowing from American imperialism have been used for decades by counter-revolutionary collaborator organizations in Türkiye. The Turkish State and the AK Party government have shown great weakness by allowing imperialist states to distribute bribes under the guise of funding and to organize with political parties, municipalities, universities, and associations.
NED’s offices in Türkiye, such as NDI and IRI, must be immediately closed, and their officials deported.
USAID Funds Must Be Disclosed
The amount of money provided by the U.S. and EU to funded organizations is being concealed. While imperialist foundations and government institutions remove this data from their websites, organizations in Türkiye receiving these funds have also removed this information from their websites.
The Swedish government alone plans to distribute 2.314 billion TL to NGOs and media in Türkiye between 2021-2027. Considering the dozens of organizations distributing funds to Türkiye, the total resources used for influence agent activities amount to tens of billions of liras. Billions of liras are secretly transferred to collaborators through various unmonitored methods, including cryptocurrencies.
Our Ministry of Interior must disclose to the public which institutions and individuals have received financial assistance from USAID and other imperialist organizations.
Foreign Influence Agent Law Must Be Enacted Immediately
A Foreign Influence Agent Law must be enacted to prevent foreign imperialist states and their affiliated institutions from managing individuals or organizations in Türkiye under the guise of financial assistance. The time for this regulation has come. The state and government can no longer remain spectators to the internal corruption of our nation.
On November 15, 2024, our Deputy Chairman, Mr. Hasan Korkmazcan, publicly announced the Vatan Party’s proposed amendment to the penal code regarding influence agent activities, adding Article 302/A.
Vatan Party’s Proposed Law:
Participation in Destructive Activities of Foreign States and Institutions
Turkish Penal Code Article 302/A
(1) Those who participate in or gain material benefits from the destructive activities of a foreign state or institution that threaten the independence, sovereignty, integrity, or public security of the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish Nation shall be punished with imprisonment from three to seven years. Legal entities involved in such activities shall be closed.
(2) If the act is committed during wartime or endangers the state’s war preparations, war capability, or military operations, the perpetrator shall be punished with imprisonment from eight to twelve years.
(3) If the crime is committed by individuals working in the Turkish Armed Forces, Police, National Intelligence Organization, or strategic units, projects, facilities, and services of national security importance, the penalty shall be increased by one-fold.