City of Amsterdam permanently ends subsidies for Weekend Academy Foundation

The City of Amsterdam has officially terminated its subsidy relationship with the Weekend Academie foundation following revelations of financial mismanagement. Investigations by the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) into founder Oguz Dulkadir led to the seizure of assets, including property and cash, after reports emerged that he had used the foundation for personal enrichment. The city launched its own inquiry after these findings surfaced, ultimately pausing funding due to a lack of transparency. The municipality eventually discovered that the foundation had been dissolved in mid-July without formal notification.

Despite the organization's prior reputation for promoting social equality and receiving national recognition, officials concluded that the foundation failed to provide necessary documentation regarding the legal use of public funds. Consequently, Amsterdam is now seeking to recover previous subsidy advances and is exploring legal avenues to hold the foundation's board accountable. Over the years, the foundation received significant financial support from multiple Dutch municipalities, with Amsterdam alone contributing approximately 5.5 million euros between 2015 and 2024.