Canada #60 >>21116020
Why does a NATO member suddenly want to join BRICS?
By Murad Sadygzade 29 June 2024
There are benefits and drawbacks to Türkiye potentially joining the bloc of emerging economies
At the beginning of this month, news of Türkiye’s desire to join BRICS drew global media attention. The announcement was made by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during his visit to China. “Of course, we would like to become a member of BRICS. Let’s see what we can achieve this year,” said the minister, as quoted by the South China Morning Post.
This issue was also discussed at the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, attended by Türkiye’s chief diplomat, Hakan Fidan. Türkiye’s desire to join is not entirely new – during the BRICS summit of 2018, where Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was a participant, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ankara could join in 2022. However, subsequent events on the world stage apparently delayed that ambition, and Ankara is only now showing renewed interest.
Why Does Türkiye Want to Join BRICS?
Türkiye shows significant interest in joining BRICS, seeing it as an important step toward enhancing its international influence and economic potential. This aspiration is driven by several key factors related to economic, political, and geostrategic aspects.
Possessing one of the largest economies in the region, Türkiye aims to diversify its economic ties and strengthen cooperation with rapidly developing countries. Joining BRICS would give Ankara access to a vast market and opportunities to increase trade and investment with the leading economies of the developing world. This is especially important in the context of global economic challenges and uncertainties, where diversifying partners becomes a key factor for sustainable growth.
Türkiye has repeatedly faced financial difficulties and restrictions imposed by Western financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Joining BRICS would provide Türkiye with access to the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, allowing it to secure funding on more favorable terms and with fewer political commitments. This is particularly relevant for Türkiye, which seeks to maintain its economic independence and minimize external pressure.
Türkiye actively supports the idea of a multipolar world, where the balance of power is more evenly distributed among various regions and countries. BRICS, advocating for multipolarity and fair global governance, represents an attractive platform for Türkiye, which strives to enhance its political independence from Western countries and blocs such as the European Union and NATO.
In this context, it is also worth noting that Ankara views its desire to join BRICS as a gesture towards the EU, a bloc it once sought to join. This is confirmed by the words of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. During his visit to China, he noted that some European countries oppose Türkiye’s accession to the EU, and thus Turkish authorities see BRICS as an alternative platform for integration. “We cannot ignore the fact that BRICS, as an important cooperation platform, offers some other countries a good alternative. … We see potential in BRICS,” he explained.
More:
https://www.rt.com/news/600171-turkiye-nato-brics-membership/