A recent report published by Bloomberg addressed the transformations that are pushing Turkey to join the BRICS group. The report states that over many decades, Turkey has been an influential member of NATO, since it joined the alliance in 1952 as a major Western ally in confronting the Soviet threat during the Cold War.
However, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2003, Türkiye has adopted a multidimensional foreign policy that seeks to redefine its position on the international stage. Over the past decade, Ankara has begun to rapprochement with a number of the West’s traditional rivals, such as China, Russia, and Iran, in an effort to strengthen its role as an independent regional and international power. Türkiye’s official request to join the BRICS group comes within this new trend, according to the agency.
The BRICS group (which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is an economic bloc that includes the largest emerging economies in the world. By joining this group, Turkey seeks to expand its global influence and increase its economic opportunities outside the framework of traditional Western alliances, especially after the frustration felt by Turkish officials as a result of the continuing obstacles facing Turkey’s accession to the European Union.
According to Bloomberg, Türkiye aims to take advantage of the change in the global geopolitical center of gravity away from advanced economies, to strengthen its economic and political relations with China and Russia in particular. Turkish officials believe that joining BRICS would enhance trade and financial cooperation with these countries, in addition to strengthening economic ties through the group’s Development Bank.
Justifications for joining BRICS
Relations between Türkiye and its Western allies have noticeably strained over the past ten years. The most prominent of these tensions was Erdogan’s accusation of Western governments of supporting anti-Erdogan protests in 2013, shortly after the outbreak of the Arab Spring. American support for Kurdish fighters in Syria during the battle against ISIS has increased tensions between Ankara and Washington, as Turkey views Kurdish groups in Syria as an extension of Kurdish separatist movements that threaten its internal security.
In October 2015, the United States and Germany took the decision to withdraw their air defenses from Türkiye after the escalation of violence in the Kurdish regions. In turn, Turkey responded by strengthening its relations with Russia by purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense system in 2017, which prompted the United States to exclude Turkey from the program to purchase F-35 aircraft and impose sanctions on it.
Despite these tensions, Türkiye still relies on its military and economic partnership with Western countries. It hosts American bases and NATO strategic sites, such as radar used in NATO’s missile defense system.
Economic transformations
Economically, Türkiye is highly dependent on Russia and China in many areas. For example, Russia supplies Turkey with about 42% of its natural gas needs, and Turkey attracted 6.3 million Russian tourists last year, which highlights the importance of economic cooperation between the two countries.
In addition, the Russian company Rosatom is building a $24 billion nuclear plant on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, and there are ongoing talks between the two countries to establish a second nuclear plant.
On the other hand, Turkey seeks to strengthen cooperation with China in various sectors, including building a third nuclear plant, attracting Chinese investments in the electric vehicle sector, in addition to a partnership in processing rare earth element deposits. Such steps reflect Türkiye’s quest to diversify its sources of income and improve its economy away from complete dependence on Western markets.
Risks and challenges
Bloomberg says that although Türkiye’s accession to BRICS may open new horizons for economic and political cooperation, there are clear challenges that may hinder this path. The growing rapprochement between Türkiye, Russia, and China raises concerns among its Western allies, especially in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the differing positions toward it. The United States has repeatedly warned Türkiye that its relationship with Russia could expose it to additional US sanctions, especially if it continues to strengthen economic ties with Moscow.
On the other hand, Türkiye is keen not to prejudice its military relations with NATO. In addition to the financial and military aid it receives from the United States and European countries, Turkey is part of NATO’s missile defense system, and has important strategic interests in maintaining balanced relations with the West, the agency said.
