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Turkey, a NATO member, has announced its intention to join BRICS, an alternative economic bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Ankara’s chief diplomat, Hakan Fidan, revealed on Tuesday that Turkey plans to discuss its potential BRICS membership at an upcoming meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Russia. During a visit to China, Fidan expressed that Turkey has been awaiting European Union membership for years, facing consistent opposition from some EU members. Consequently, Ankara is now considering BRICS as a viable alternative economic bloc.
Fidan’s visit to Beijing marked the highest-level visit by a Turkish official to China since 2012. During his talks with Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Fidan confirmed Turkey’s desire to join BRICS. He highlighted that while Ankara remains committed to its NATO membership and EU aspirations, it recognizes BRICS as a significant cooperation platform offering alternative opportunities.
Russia has responded positively to Turkey’s interest in joining BRICS. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the topic would be on the agenda for the group’s next summit. Peskov acknowledged the growing interest from various states in BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
