'The process is now under way': Turkey submits request to join BRICS nations

Sept. 3, 2024, 2:52 p.m.

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Turkey has officially requested to become a member of the BRICS group, a powerful coalition of major emerging economies, according to a statement made by the spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party on Tuesday.

“Our president has many times stated that we want to become a BRICS member… The process is now under way,” AFP quoted Omer Celik, spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), as saying.

The BRICS group, named after its founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has expanded to include additional countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ethiopia, and Egypt, all of which joined earlier this year. The bloc is seen as a counterweight on the global stage to the G7 group, led by the United States.

Advertisement Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources, reported that Erdogan's government believes that the “geopolitical center of gravity” is shifting away from the most developed economies.

The move also indicates Ankara’s intent “to cultivate relationships with all sides in a multipolar world” while remaining committed to its obligations as a key member of NATO, the report added.

“Turkey can become a strong, prosperous, prestigious and effective country if it improves its relations with the East and the West simultaneously,” Bloomberg quoted Erdoğan as saying in Istanbul over the weekend.

“Any method other than this will not benefit Turkey, but will harm it,” he added.

He said Turkey doesn’t have to choose between the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as some people claim.

“On the contrary, we have to develop our relations with both these and other organisations on a win-win basis,” added the President.

A former Turkish diplomat told Newsweek that the move has been driven by “accumulated frustrations” in Ankara with the West and the European Union.

Ankara submitted its application several months ago, driven by dissatisfaction with the stalled process of its bid to join the European Union, a goal it has pursued for many years.

With inputs from agencies