Turkey gets status as a “partner country” in BRICS: A step towards membership?

Main restaurants

• Turkey has been offered the status of “partner country” within BRICS.
• This development is seen as a transition stage to full membership for Turkey.
• Turkish officials insist that BRICS membership will not affect their NATO obligations.

Turkey’s possible membership BRICS has taken a special step forward with the offer of “partner country” status. The development comes after Turkey formally expressed interest in joining the group of emerging economies, which includes Brazil, Russia, the India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat announced this new status in a recent interview, identifying it as a transitional stage within the BRICS organizational structure. He explained that Turkey sees its participation in BRICS as an opportunity to develop economic cooperation with member states without weakening existing ties with Western partners or its membership. NATO. This sentiment was echoed by Turkish officials who stressed that BRICS membership would not affect their commitments to the Western military alliance.

Discussion of partnership and full membership

The “partner country” category, as well as full membership, was introduced at the recent BRICS summit in Kazan, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although Ankara received this proposal, an official from Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party indicated that it may not meet Turkey’s wishes for full membership.

Bolat also addressed claims that India could block Turkey’s full membership due to tensions with Pakistan, which he strongly rejected. He said there is no basis for such a veto.

Independent Turkish foreign policy and global ambitions

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has consistently pursued an independent foreign policy for Turkey, aiming to strengthen its global influence. This quest extends beyond BRICS as Turkey seeks a more prominent place on the world stage, especially given the current challenges in membership negotiations with the European Union.

BRICS itself aims to raise the voices of major emerging economies and challenge what they see as Western dominance in the world order. Its founding members advocate for reforms within international institutions such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Implications for Turkey’s BRICS membership

As a platform rather than a binding economic union like the EU, BRICS represents a unique approach to cooperation, with almost half of the world’s population and around a third of global GDP. If Turkey is admitted, it would be the first NATO member within BRICS, which would further complicate the geopolitical dynamics as the position of the group is against the Western powers on several international issues, especially the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

If you want access to all articles, enjoy our promo for a while and subscribe here!