(10 September 2024 – Türkiye) Türkiye has submitted a request to join the BRICS group of major emerging market nations according to a spokesperson for President Erdogan.
If admitted, Türkiye would become the first NATO member in the group including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa which sees itself as a counterweight to the Western-led global economic and military power balance headed by the US, EU and G7.
After becoming parlance for the group of emerging nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China, the four nations created the BRIC international forum in 2009. South Africa joined a year later and Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined in early 2024.
Türkiye has faced repeated rejection from joining the EU which has become a point of strong antagonism for Ankara.
“Our president has many times stated that we want to become a BRICS member. Our request in this matter is clear, and the process is proceeding within this framework” said Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Omer Celik.
“The move to join BRICS is in line with Türkiye’s broader geopolitical journey, positioning itself as an independent actor in a multi-polar world and even becoming a pole of power in its own right” commented Control Risks Senior Analyst, George Dyson.
“This is not to say that Türkiye is turning away from the West entirely but the country wants to foster as many trading ties as possible and pursue opportunities unilaterally without being constrained by Western alignment. It is definitely symbolic in that Türkiye is demonstrating exactly this, that it is not constrained by its good ties with the West.”