According to a statement yesterday (November 13) by Turkish trade minister Ömer Bolat, BRICS has offered Turkey ‘partner country’ status. Turkey had applied for BRICS membership in September, prior to the organization’s major summit in Kazan, Russia in late October.
BRICS, an intergovernmental organization consisting of China, Russia, India, Brazil, and others, is seen as a chief rival to the G7 bloc, which consists of many of the world’s wealthiest nations.
Following Turkey’s application to join the bloc, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the BRICS conference in Kazan.
Turkey’s bid, however, was struck down by India due to Ankara’s close relationship with Pakistan. Following Turkey’s rejection, BRICS announced it would not be accepting new members in the near future.
Turkey has insisted that its BRICS application is purely economic and does not represent a pivot away from NATO or its western allies.
Following the rejection of Turkey’s full membership, BRICS partner countries introduced the ‘partner country’ membership option during the conference in late October.
BRICS was founded by Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2006 and has grown to include countries such as Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Turkey previously shut down by India
According to a report by BILD on October 24, India opposed Turkey’s application to join BRICS, citing Ankara’s close ties with Pakistan. Due to this stance, the necessary consensus for Turkey’s membership was not achieved.
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At the recent BRICS summit, state and government leaders agreed not to admit any new members for the time being, as reported by online news outlet T24.
Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia were the latest countries to join the BRICS group. Meanwhile, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia had formally submitted membership applications. Experts suggest that BRICS is unlikely to expand further in the near future, as some member countries remain opposed to additional enlargement.
Turkey officially applied to join BRICS on September 2nd, 2024.
By Leo Kendrick
