Ahead of the 16th BRICS summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan submitted a request for associate membership in the group.
India Blocks Turkey’s Path To BRICS
Ahead of the 16th BRICS summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan submitted a request for associate membership in the group. However, during the final press conference on the second day of the summit, no statements were made on the subject. According to the former Turkish diplomat, Turkey’s entry into BRICS is being blocked by India due to Ankara’s close relations with Pakistan, a country hostile to New Delhi.
Ülgen explained that Erdoğan has several reasons for wanting to join BRICS. Primarily, it would help Turkey strengthen its ‘strategic autonomy’ through this platform. Additionally, Ankara may be trying to express its frustration with the European Union, which has been delaying Turkey’s EU membership bid and the modernization of the EU-Turkey customs union.
The expert also highlighted ‘political prestige’ as another motive for Erdoğan, who wants to demonstrate that “he can sit at both NATO and BRICS tables simultaneously.”
Recently, BRICS added new members, including Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Official membership applications have also been submitted by Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia.
BRICS +
In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China created the “Bric” group. South Africa joined in 2010, making it “BRICS”. The group was designed to bring together the world’s most important developing countries, to challenge the political and economic power of the wealthier nations of North America and Western Europe.
