MOSCOW (AP) — NATO member Turkey has applied for membership of the BRICS bloc of developing countriesa senior Kremlin official said Wednesday, as Russia and China try to counter the West’s global influence.
Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, told reporters that Turkey has submitted an application for “full membership” of the bloc, which Russia chairs this year, and that it will be considered.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated that his country aims to join the BRICS alliance, according to Omer Celik, a spokesman for Erdogan’s ruling party. But Celik stopped short this week of confirming that Turkey has formally submitted an application.
The BRICS alliance was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, and South Africa joined in 2010. It has recently expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has said it is considering joining, and Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally signed up.
BRICS has the stated aim of amplifying the voice of major emerging economies to balance the Western-led global order. Its founders have called for a fairer world order and the reform of international institutions such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Erdogan, who been in power for more than two decades, has tried to create a more independent foreign policy for Turkey and increase its global influence. The country has also been frustrated by the lack of progress in the accession negotiations with the European Union.
Last week, Erdogan said that Turkey should develop relations with both the East and the West “simultaneously.”
Turkey, which straddles Europe and Asia, joined the NATO military alliance in 1952. It began talks to join the European Union in 2005, but negotiations have stalled amid concerns about democratic backsliding under Erdogan’s rule and ongoing disputes with Cyprus, an EU member, among other challenges.
The BRICS are expected to discuss the inclusion of new members at a meeting in Russia next month.
Putin earlier this year welcomed Turkey’s interest in the bloc, promising that Moscow “will support this aspiration and desire to be with the countries of this alliance, to be together, closer, to solve common problems.”
On Monday, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that Turkey has shown interest in joining the BRICS countries.
