Turkey has formally requested to join the BRICS group as Ankara aims to forge new ties beyond the EU.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration said the geopolitical centre was shifting away from developed economies. Turkey’s new diplomatic pursuits reflect its ambitions to develop ties in a multipolar world, according to reports.
Turkey applied to join BRICS months ago amid frustration over the lack of progress in its long-running bid to join the European Union, officials added. Turkey’s foreign ministry and president declined to comment.
Turkey can become a strong, prosperous, prestigious and effective country if it improves its relations with the East and the West simultaneously. Any method other than this will not benefit Turkey, but will harm it.
BRICS, named after Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, includes some of the largest emerging economies. Earlier this year, four new members joined: Iran, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia was also invited to join, but the kingdom has yet to act. Azerbaijan also applied to join.
The bloc is positioning itself as an alternative to institutions dominated by entities such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. New members can potentially access financing through their development bank, as well as expand their political and trade relations.
We do not have to choose between the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as some people claim. On the contrary, we have to develop our relations with both these and other organisations on a win-win basis.
Ankara has been negotiating to join the EU since 2005 but has faced a number of obstacles, including what the bloc describes as the country’s shortcomings. Turkey believes that joining BRICS could help the country improve economic co-operation with Russia and China and become a trade channel between the EU and Asia.
Nevertheless, Turkey is making parallel efforts to reopen EU membership talks. This remained “a strategic target,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated last week. It was the first time in five years that he took part in informal talks with EU counterparts.
