On the eve of the 16th BRICS summit, Turkey applied for associate membership in the group. However, at the final press conference on the second day of the summit, no statements were made on this topic. This was reported by Bild, according to UNN.
Details
As Sinan Ulgen, a former diplomat and expert on Turkish foreign policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explained to the publication, Turkey's accession to the BRICS is being hindered by India. The reason is Ankara's good relations with Pakistan, which is hostile to India.
According to Ulgen, Erdogan wants to get closer to Vladimir Putin's alliance to strengthen Turkey's “strategic autonomy.” In addition, he expresses frustration with the EU. Another motive is political prestige: Erdogan wants to show that he can sit at the tables of NATO and BRICS at the same time. He sees himself as a mediator in the international arena.
Critics say that with such maneuvers, Erdogan has driven Turkey into foreign policy isolation. The publication recalled that Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia recently joined the BRICS. In addition to Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have applied for membership.
Recall
In September, Turkey officially asked to join the BRICS group of countries, seeking to strengthen its global influence and establish new ties beyond the traditional West.