Turkey Reemphasizes Interest in Joining BRICS - The Media Line

The Media Line Staff

09/04/2024

On Tuesday, a senior Turkish official confirmed Turkey’s intention to join the BRICS bloc of developing middle-income economies, but he did not provide an answer regarding the submission of a formal application. 

Omer Celik, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP party, responded to a Bloomberg report that claimed Ankara had already applied to join BRICS several months ago by saying: “Our request on this issue is clear. This process is ongoing. But there is no concrete development regarding this.”  

“Our president has clearly stated that Turkey wants to take part in all important platforms, including BRICS.”  

Erdogan, who’s served more than two decades at the top of Ankara’s political hierarchy, has aimed to strike a delicate balance between both the East and West and carve out a geopolitically influential role unique to Turkey, which is located at the historical crossroads of Europe and Asia.  

BRICS, originally founded by Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2006, has expanded to include South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE. Azerbaijan has applied to join, while Saudi Arabia has also expressed interest.  

The bloc aims to represent the Global South collectively and advocate for reforms in international institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank that are perceived as benefiting wealthier, more developed economies. 

In practice, the bloc largely serves as a forum and a symbolic counterbalance to the US-led economic order, as political tensions and intra-group rivalries within BRICS impede the group from pursuing a cohesive agenda.