Erdoğan’s interest in joining BRICS reflects Turkey’s desire to diversify its geopolitical alliances while also testing the limits of its ability to balance between two different systems.
Turkey’s Bet on BRICS: Why Now?
Turkey’s interest in joining BRICS stems from several reasons, primarily rooted in its geopolitical ambitions. The country is frustrated with its stalled EU accession process, which has seen little progress over the past few decades. Moreover, Turkey seeks to diversify its alliances, reduce its reliance on the West, and strengthen ties with emerging powers like China, Russia, and India.
This bid aligns with its goal of pursuing an independent foreign policy, particularly after strained relations with NATO and ongoing tensions with Western allies due to Turkey’s engagement with Russia.
Turkey’s long wait to join the European Union, which began in the 1960s, has been justified by the EU on the grounds of political, economic, and human rights concerns, along with geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding Cyprus. However, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012) expressed opposition and the real reasons why Turkey could not join the European Union, stating it as a France’s red line, because of Turkey’s cultural and geographic differences, particularly its predominantly Muslim identity, made it unsuitable for EU membership. In place of full EU membership, he advocated for a “privileged partnership” with Turkey, citing concerns over European identity and cohesion. Former German Chancelor Angela Merkel backed Sarkozy with the same arguments, stating that Germany’s attempt to create a multicultural society had “utterly failed”.
The EU’s response to Turkey’s BRICS application was formal but hinted at potential future contradictions: “We expect all EU candidate countries to firmly and unequivocally support EU values, respect obligations arising from relevant trade agreements, and align with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.”
Turkey’s EU accession bid is at a standstill, with the country placed at the bottom of the bloc’s priority list, behind Balkan candidates as well as behind Moldova and Ukraine. This has led Turkey to seek other economic and geopolitical partnerships, with BRICS emerging as a natural choice.
Additionally, Turkey’s recent efforts to improve relations with the West, in order to secure financial support for its economic issues, were met with Western demands to reduce its economic ties with........