European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos made the commitment to control the funds to Turkey, following a question from MEP and member of the security & defense committee Nikolas Faradouris regarding the financing – with European funds – of espionage operations and the acquisition of biometric data of European citizens from Turkey.
With his written question on 15 JulyNikolas Faradouris presented data on the use of funds that the European Union has made available to Turkey in the context of the pre-accession process which may have financed espionage activities against the EU itself. The Greek MEP had requested the intervention of the Commission and for the protection of personal data of European citizens from the collection and processing of biometric data by Turkish companies and Authorities.
In its response, the European Commission committed itself to: a) the activation of a monitoring, control and review mechanism for the projects funded in Turkey and b) the recovery of funds and cessation of funding if such action is proven.
Of particular importance is that the Commission underlines the European legal framework and specifications for the protection of the biometric data of EU citizens, pointing out that “each Member State bears the sole responsibility for the security of the passports it issues”.
This admission brings back to the fore the issue of delegation by member states such as France and Hungary, the issuing of passports with biometric elements to third countries outside the EU, such as Turkey.
In statements made today from Brussels, Nikolas Faradouris emphasized that “this initiative has brought to the European forefront an issue that was previously ignored, revealing the need for stricter control of the allocation of European funds and for institutional shielding against third countries that seek to instrumentalize their relationship with the EU for political and operational purposes. It is unthinkable that European citizens’ money ends up in espionage against them. We will not allow it.”
The Faradouris question about Turkey’s espionage actions
⚠️ European Funds 🇪🇺 and espionage action 🇹🇷 by Turkey: After my question the Commission committed to recover funds from Turkey if confirmed #espionage at the expense of European citizens & Authorities. On July 15, I presented data on the use of… pic.twitter.com/H02FhTFwiI
— Nikolas Farantouris (@NFarantouris) November 10, 2025
In his written question to the European Commission on July 15, 2025, the MEP and member of the Security & Defense Committee, Nikolas Faradouris, raised the issue of “abuse, by Turkey, of a large part of the funds that the European Union has allocated to it in the context of the pre-accession process (IPA) which may have been channeled into espionage activities throughout Europe”. The Turkish Interior and Foreign Ministries reportedly used millions of euros to collect intelligence against member states and European officials.
As he notes in his question “the issue is even more complicated since Turkey is developing into an important producer of biometric passports. It is already printing on behalf of Hungary and France, while cooperation with the new Syrian regime is also expected.”
Question requesting a written answer E-002880/2025 to the Commission
Article 144 of the Regulation
Nikolas Farandouris (The Left)
Subject: Turkey’s use of pre-accession assistance (IPA) funds to finance espionage operations – Production of biometric passports
Credible and substantiated international reports reveal that much of the EU’s Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funds have been funneled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government to finance espionage operations across Europe. The Turkish Interior and Foreign Ministries reportedly used hundreds of millions of euros to collect intelligence against member states. The issue is even more complicated, since Turkey is developing into an important producer of biometric passports and already prints passports on behalf of Hungary and France, while recently a related cooperation was also announced with the new Al-Jolani regime in Syria.
Given the above, the Commission is asked:
1. What measures does it intend to take to control the funds received by Turkey in the context of pre-accession aid?
2. Does he intend to request the return of those funds that were not used for the purposes for which they were granted to Turkey?
3. Does it intend to take measures to protect the biometric data of European citizens from third countries such as Turkey, which is involved in the collection and processing of such sensitive data?
Deposit: 15.7.2025
PE776.449v01-00
The Commission’s response to the Faradouris question
ELE-002880/2025
Answer of Mrs. Kos, on behalf of the European Commission, to the MEP N. Faradouris regarding possible espionage activity by Turkey.
(31.10.2025)
The implementation of pre-accession aid in Turkey follows the EU Financial Regulation. The Commission ensures that the applicable rules are followed and that the funds have an impact in practice. Reporting requirements, which may include verification of expenditure and audits, are agreed depending on specific projects, implementing partners and specific arrangements. A monitoring framework is in place that includes sectoral monitoring committees for each sector receiving EU support, which meet every six months, as well as a joint monitoring committee for all ongoing contracts in all sectors, which meets once a year.
If there is evidence that a beneficiary has breached the applicable legislation when implementing a project and has not complied with EU rules, the Commission and the national agency use all available means, which include terminating the cooperation and recovering EU funds.
In addition, the Commission has established a comprehensive set of preventive and investigative mechanisms, which includes strict internal controls, regular audits, transparency rules and cooperation with bodies such as the European Anti-Fraud Office and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Regarding the protection of biometric data, Regulation (EC) No. Council Regulation 2252/2004 establishes standards for security features and the use of biometrics in Member States’ passports and travel documents. Each Member State is responsible for compliance with the rules on the procurement, production and personalization of the passports and travel documents it issues. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 also applies to the personal data processed in this context, and its enforcement is primarily the responsibility of the competent national supervisory authorities and courts.