On September 2, Bloomberg reported that Turkey has officially requested to join the group of emerging market countries as it wants to expand its vision beyond its traditional Western allies.
A former Turkish diplomat told Newsweek that the move was driven by Ankara's "accumulated frustration" with the West and the European Union (EU).
“This is not Ankara’s strategy to replace the West, but rather a strategy to strengthen relations with non-Western powers at a time when US hegemony is waning,” said Sinan Ülgen, head of the EDAM research group in Istanbul.
BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The bloc is seen as an international alternative to the US-led G7.
Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg said that the administration of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes that the "geopolitical center of gravity" is shifting away from the most developed economies.
The move also shows Ankara's goal of "cultivating relationships with all sides in a multipolar world" while still fulfilling its obligations as a key NATO member, Bloomberg added.
Ankara applied for membership months ago amid frustration over stalled efforts to join the EU , Bloomberg reported. Turkey has sought EU membership for decades.
According to Mr. Ülgen, bilateral relations with the United States have also been problematic. Those frustrations have prompted the Turkish government to move toward joining BRICS. Ankara believes it can do this “without paying a political price.”
Turkey's diplomatic move to join BRICS comes amid a rift with other NATO members, partly due to Ankara's close ties with Moscow.
Since BRICS is not a security-related organization, Turkey's membership will not affect its role in NATO , Ülgen said. "This is primarily an economic organization, so it is likely to affect Turkey's relationship with the EU more than with NATO," Ülgen added.
In June, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan became the highest-ranking Turkish official to visit China since 2012, and he held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi as well as other officials.
Turkish officials have attended previous BRICS summits. In June, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomed the prospect of Turkey formally joining and that the country’s membership would be discussed at the next BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan from October 22-24.
