Ankara’s bid to join BRICS signals a potential shift toward multipolarity in its foreign policy priorities. Will Turkiye’s membership be thwarted by its NATO allies, or is this merely a political play to nudge the west into opening its pursestrings?
NATO member Turkiye’s formal application to join the BRICS group of emerging economies earlier this month has garnered widespread attention. While the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Directorate of Communications have yet to officially confirm or deny the news, there have been several indirect confirmations from Turkish and Russian officials.
Omer Celik, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), couched his response to reporters carefully:
Our president has stated at various times that we want to be a member [of BRICS] ... Our request on this issue is clear. This process is underway in this framework, but there is no concrete development on this.
Further confirmation of Turkiye’s membership bid came from Yuri Ushakov, BRICS chair and Russian President Putin’s foreign policy advisor, who has publicly stated:
"Turkiye has applied for full membership. We will consider this application."
In addition, Sputnik reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to attend the BRICS summit in Kazan, scheduled for 22–24 September. This aligns with prior announcements that Erdogan would also attend the next Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting for heads of state.
These developments emphasize Ankara’s interest in the multipolar order that BRICS represents, especially following its failed bids to join the EU, though Turkiye’s official stance remains unclear – perhaps deliberately so.
The timing of Turkiye’s potential BRICS membership raises important questions, especially given that this development follows an informal meeting with EU foreign ministers, marking Turkiye’s first such invitation since 2019.
🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle
Related: 07/07- NATO Ally Turkey Seeks Membership in China-Led SCO, Erdogan Says
06/30- Dissatisfied With EU, Turkiye Talks up BRICS Outreach
6/4 — Joining BRICS+ ‘Good Alternative’ to EU: Turkiye
8/25/23 — BRICS Doubles Share of Global Oil Production In Welcoming Six New Members at BRICS Summit in S. Africa — @PsyopDaily Original
7/26/23 — The End of The PetroDollar, The Rise of BRICS is Here — @PsyopDaily Original
As the disobedience continued, the US took the route of sanctioning the individual banks that did not comply in these countries, forcing them to have a sort of foot in both camps, one in the BRICs/Mir/CHIPs axis, another in the Western/SWIFT axis.
3/11/22 — Turkey Won't Sanction Russia, Despite NATO Pressure
4/19/22 - Justices Rule Turkish Bank Must Face US Prosecution for Sanctions Violation
....While Turkey has been towing a middle line, like the Gulf states and India, they have also been teeter-tottering a bit between both axes, a bit like India.
To return to the line of the US targeting Turkish banks and private entities of other countries who stayed connected to Mir, Reuters described in September of 2022 described how this specifically propelled India to integrate the Mir system. Blowback, blowback, blowback.
2/6/23 — US Sharpens Focus on Russia Sanctions Evasion, Warning Turkish Banks, Businesses
..The US took the same route with other non-compliant countries, forcing countries to essentially have a foot in and out of both pools, economically impacting them negatively.
... the blowback of this was wreaking diplomatic and economic ties between the US and the countries we were attempting to impose sovereignty over.
March 2022 Flashback: US Hegemony Threatened As Saudis, UAE, India Ignore Threats of Sanctions, Turn to Russia/China — @PsyopDaily Original
Will threats of sanctions on the neutral gulf states and India... be productive, or counter productive to America’s own security and stability?
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