Turkey Wants To Join BRICS Economic Bloc

A senior Turkish official has confirmed that Turkey is interested in joining the BRICS bloc of developing economies but stopped short of announcing that the NATO member had formally applied for membership, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The BRICS alliance, established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, expanded in 2010 to include South Africa. I Photo: 15th Annual BRICS Summit

Bloomberg has reported that Turkey had officially applied to join BRICS several months ago. When asked about the report, Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party, stated that Erdogan had expressed interest in BRICS membership “several times.”

“Our request on this issue is clear. This process is ongoing. But there is no concrete development regarding this,” Celik told reporters.

“Our president has made it clear that Turkey wants to participate in all important platforms, including BRICS.”

The BRICS alliance, established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, expanded in 2010 to include South Africa. Recently, BRICS has undergone significant enlargement, welcoming new members such as Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia has indicated interest in joining, and Azerbaijan has formally applied. BRICS aims to amplify the voice of the Global South, and its founding members advocate for a more equitable global order and reforms of international institutions like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank (WB).