Türkiye has formally asked to join the BRICS economic bloc, as it seeks to forge new ties beyond its traditional Western allies, Bloomberg has reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the outlet, Ankara submitted an application to join the group “some months ago.” “Rifts” between NATO member Türkiye and the military bloc’s other member states over the Ukraine conflict were reportedly among the reasons for Ankara’s BRICS application.
Since the outbreak of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in 2022, Ankara has called for a diplomatic solution. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously criticized his allies' strategy of providing military aid to Ukraine and stated that Türkiye “will not be a party to this war.”
Ankara has maintained close ties with Moscow despite the Ukraine conflict, noted Bloomberg.
The Turkish leadership is also reportedly growing frustrated over the lack of progress in its decades-long bid to join the European Union, the outlet added. Türkiye was declared a candidate country in 1999. However, the European Parliament suspended accession talks with the country in 2019 over alleged human rights violations.
Türkiye’s foreign ministry and presidency declined to comment to Bloomberg on the reported BRICS accession bid. The country’s top diplomat Hakan Fidan said in June that Ankara was interested in joining the group.
BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. Russia is currently chairing the bloc.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Ankara is indeed interested in becoming a member of BRICS. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates joined the group earlier this year.