Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.
Türkiye has recently applied for full-fledged membership of the BRICS, according to the Russian media. The BRICS may consider this application to be a positive development. Türkiye holds 17th place in the global economy. Ankara is a significant player in Africa and the Middle East. Therefore, its membership will be lucrative for the BRICS and another significant blow to the US-led new world order.
Turkey’s Strategic Position and the Stalled EU Membership
Türkiye is a significant power in the international world and holds a strategic position as it is located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. It is also a part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Since 1987, the country has been striving to be a part of the European Union. However, the membership talks have stalled since 2016 due to allegations of European nations violating human rights. This long wait and the EU’s unwillingness to accept the membership of Türkiye has frustrated the latter.
The Rise of BRICS and Turkey’s Potential Role
The rise of BRICS and the Eastern Bloc has provided multiple alternative options to replace Western-dominated liberal institutions. Türkiye is looking for alternative options to enhance its regional and global cooperation. The Western institutions are mainly dominated by the United States and only serve the interests of the Western world. This has inculcated a sense of agitation among the developing and underdeveloped world. Amidst multiple Eastern organizations, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are the most prominent. BRICS, led mainly by Russia and China, provides the best alternative to all the nations looking for inclusive multilateral institutions.
Brazil, Russia, India, and China established the institutions in 2009. Later, with the inclusion of South Africa, the organization was renamed as BRICS. The prime ambition behind the creation of this organization was to enhance economic cooperation. However, the organization is rapidly challenging Western economic and political organizations due to the rapid rise of China and Russia as global superpowers and the increasing role of the middle powers in the rising multipolar world order. Since its inception, the organization has been limited to these 5 countries. However, last year the member countries decided to expand the organization, leading to the membership of Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran at the start of the year 2024.
The founding members of BRICS have decided to further expand the organization to increase their influence over developing countries. Around 40 countries have demonstrated their desire to become members of the BRICS organization. Türkiye is one of the most significant powers that have recently applied for membership in the organization. Reports suggest that the BRICS will likely accept this application, as the membership of a NATO country will prove lucrative for the founding members to secure their interests and increase their influence.
Moreover, Türkiye’s strategic location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe also amplifies its significance for the BRICS nations. It controls the significant Dardanelles and Bosporus straits, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. This contributes to its significance as a logistical hub for trade between the Global North and Global South. This factor can be highly lucrative for the trade network of the BRICS nations. Furthermore, the economic potential of Türkiye has also increased its worth for the BRICS countries. The nation is the 17th largest economy in the world, and its gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated to be over $1 trillion in 2023. The economic potential of the country could be gauged by its steady economic growth, which stood at around 5.4 percent between the years 2002 to 2022.
Turkey’s Global Ambitions and the Multipolar World Order
Türkiye’s economic ties with different African countries and its influence over the Middle Eastern world will also help the BRICS increase its influence over different regions. Although observers and experts hold that Türkiye completely seeks to tilt towards the Eastern bloc, Erdoğan maintains that the country wants to establish relations with all international stakeholders. When asked about his country’s involvement in BRICS and the SCO, Erdoğan stated that Türkiye is an “unwavering” NATO ally.
He further said, “We do not believe that this impedes our ability to establish positive relationships with nations such as China and Russia. Nor do we think that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an alternative to NATO. Similarly, we do not consider BRICS to be an alternative to any other structure. We regard all of these structures and alliance grounds as formations with distinct functions.” He also stated that these relationships with different regional and global organizations contribute to global peace and cooperation.
For Türkiye, BRICS membership will help increase its significance globally. The Western nations will increase their cooperation with Türkiye to hamper it from being a member of BRICS and other Eastern organizations. Moreover, the country will have increased opportunities to expand its economic and trade relations across the continents through the BRICS forum. Furthermore, Russia and China can help Türkiye in stabilizing the Middle Eastern region and counter all the Western and Israeli proxies in the region. Türkiye’s BRICS membership will be another step towards the decline of the US-led world order and the rise of the multipolar world order.
