Türkiye wants to join BRICS. Brussels comments

The spokesman stressed that Ankara must, among other things, comply with its obligations under trade agreements with the European Union.

BRICS is a political and economic agreement originally concluded in 2009 by Brazil, India, Russia and China and expanded this year to include Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. A few months ago, Ankara also officially applied to join the group, as media reported it wants to establish relations with new partners and is already tired of the prolonged accession process with the European Union.

Turkey’s desire to join BRICS was commented on during a briefing by the EC spokesman, who emphasized that Turkey, like any other country, has the right to decide what is best for it. However, Stano reminded that when it comes to relations with the European Union, Turkey is still a candidate country, which means “certain limitations” for it.

Asked by journalists whether the “limitations” related to Turkey’s EU candidacy do not rule out the country’s membership in BRICS, Stano said that the EU expects all candidate countries, not only Turkey, to unambiguously support EU values ​​and respect the obligations arising from relevant trade agreements and consistent with the EU’s common security policy.

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“These are significant signals regarding common values ​​and interests and the strategic orientation of the candidate countries. Upon accession to the EU, candidate countries must adapt everything, including trade agreements, to the standards and principles of the Union,” Stano said. As he emphasized, the EU and Turkey are currently connected by, among other things, a customs union and very good trade regulations, which are beneficial to Ankara. “One very important thing should be added: BRICS and the EU are completely different organizations, both in terms of goals and structure, as well as organizational principles,” the spokesman emphasized.

Turkey has been an associate member of the European Economic Community since 1963, and applied for membership in 1987. It was officially recognised as an EU candidate in 1999, but negotiations did not begin until 2005. So far, progress in the talks has been slow, with 16 of 35 negotiating chapters opened and only one concluded. After the failed coup in Turkey in July 2016 and the government’s crackdown in Ankara, negotiations were frozen. No new negotiation chapter has been opened since then.