Citing sources “with knowledge of the matter,” the news agency reports that the Erdoğan government believes that “the geopolitical center of gravity is shifting away from the developed economies.” However, it also wants to maintain its obligations as a key NATO member.
Since July, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had hinted that Turkey has turned its attention to the BRICS, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also mentioned an “increased interest in the BRICS organization” in his statements.
The publication notes that the request has been made for several months, as Ankara has been “disappointed” by “the lack of progress in its efforts to join the European Union for decades.” This move, it stated, is also “partly a result of rifts with other NATO members as Turkey has maintained close ties with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”
“Turkey can become a strong, prosperous, prestigious, and effective country if it improves its relations with both the East and the West simultaneously,” Erdoğan said in Istanbul over the weekend. “Any other method apart from this will not benefit Turkey, but will harm it.”
The BRICS organization derives its name from the initials of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It also includes the countries of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Egypt.
With information from: Turkey Bids to Join BRICS in Push to Build Alliances Beyond West