Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed Türkiye’s application to join BRICS. Fidan mentioned that Türkiye would not have sought BRICS membership had its economic integration with the European Union resulted in full membership. He added that Türkiye is attempting, in good faith, to maintain its relationship with the European Union and take it to a certain point, highlighting that negotiations between Ankara and Brussels have stalled over time. Fidan explained that Türkiye is actively working on forming global partnerships, especially with BRICS and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), noting that Türkiye’s interest is not limited to BRICS, but it also closely follows ASEAN. Fidan said: “We observe the continuous evolution of the power matrix in a world with about 200 influential countries, where these active states are becoming more efficient and, over time, more non-governmental, commercial, and technological actors join them. You need to know which alliances to develop; without forming alliances, no country can manage global crises without paying heavy prices. Every country is compelled to form alliances—economic, security, and political alliances. Türkiye has a very strong tradition in statecraft when it comes to forming alliances, participating in them, and assuming its responsibilities.”
When asked whether BRICS countries are considering forming an actual alliance similar to the European Union, Fidan replied: “We will join them and see.” Fidan emphasized that Türkiye is seeking different forms of cooperation in foreign policy, saying: “In other words, let’s say there are other economic cooperation organizations in which Türkiye is currently involved at its core. There is the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, and there are economic cooperation organizations we have established with Islamic countries, such as the Developing Eight (D-8) group of Islamic nations.”
Experts say that if Türkiye joins BRICS, a group seen as a counterweight to the Western-led global order, Ankara would be taking steps that distance it from joining the European Union and the European Common Market. An EU official stated that Türkiye has the right to prioritize its policies, but hinted that if Ankara still seeks to join the European Union, it must align its foreign and security policies with those of the bloc. The official expected all EU candidate countries to firmly and unequivocally support the EU’s values, respect the obligations arising from relevant trade agreements, and work towards harmonization with the EU’s common foreign and security policy.
Last year, Members of the European Parliament reported in an annual review that “Ankara’s alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy has dropped to its lowest ever, reaching just 7 percent, the lowest among candidate countries for EU membership.” Türkiye’s EU accession process began in 2005 but was halted in 2018, mainly due to European concerns over restrictions on media freedom in Türkiye, government control over the judiciary, and the lack of civilian oversight over security forces.
Several Turkish experts have suggested that Erdogan’s desire to join BRICS might be aimed at gaining leverage in Türkiye’s EU accession bid. They argue that Türkiye’s EU accession process is “frozen,” and thus Turkish decision-makers either seek to revive the accession talks or feel they have nothing to lose by joining BRICS. They point out that European officials have effectively frozen Türkiye’s accession process and are close to excluding it from expansion talks, while progress is being made on the Balkans’ EU accession. Turkish decision-makers do not view BRICS membership as diminishing Türkiye’s importance but as strengthening its position in a way that could make Western countries envious and give Türkiye a greater chance of drawing their attention.
Media reports have also suggested that Türkiye could use its BRICS membership or its application to join BRICS as a political signal and leverage in negotiations with the European Union. The reports indicate that Türkiye believes joining BRICS could help it improve economic cooperation with Russia and China and become a trade bridge between Europe and Asia. At the same time, it seeks to become a hub for gas exports from Russia and Central Asia, as well as increase its presence in the Arctic.
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