Turkey has formally submitted a request to join BRICS, a group of emerging-market economies. This request signals Turkey’s intent to diversify its partnerships beyond its traditional Western alliances, particularly those within NATO and the European Union.
The BRICS grouping, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has long been viewed as a platform for emerging economies to assert greater influence on the global stage. Earlier this year, BRICS expanded to include four new members: Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia, another major player in the Middle East, has also been invited to join, though its official membership process is yet to begin.
Turkey’s decision to apply for BRICS membership represents a potential shift in its foreign policy, as it looks to deepen relationships with non-Western powers at a time when global economic and political power is gradually shifting away from the West. This move, however, is not solely about pivoting away from the West—it is also driven by Turkey’s desire to strengthen trade and economic ties with BRICS countries.
Announced just ahead of the BRICS summit, which is scheduled to take place in Kazan, Russia, on October 22, Turkey’s application raises significant questions about the broader implications for its role within NATO. If accepted, Turkey would become the first NATO member to join BRICS, a development that would undoubtedly attract scrutiny from Western capitals.
Turkey’s recent foreign policy manoeuvres, including its bid to join BRICS, reflect President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s long-standing strategy of balancing relations between East and West. Erdogan has been vocal about Turkey’s need to cultivate relationships on both sides of the geopolitical divide, emphasizing that Turkey can “become a strong, prosperous, prestigious, and effective country if it improves its relations with the East and the West simultaneously.”
This is not a new strategy for Turkey. Its unique geographic location, straddling both Europe and Asia, has shaped its foreign policy for decades. Since the end of the Cold War, Turkey has pursued a delicate balancing act in its international relations, often navigating conflicting interests between the Western world and emerging global powers like Russia and China.
Erdogan’s government has sought to increase Turkey’s geopolitical influence by adopting a more independent foreign policy. At the same time, Ankara has maintained institutional ties with the West through its membership in NATO and long-standing partnership with the European Union. However, Turkey’s frustration with the EU, particularly over stalled negotiations on updating the 1996 customs union, has driven it to seek new partnerships outside the West.
Strategic Autonomy and Frustrations with the West
According to Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based Centre for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies, Turkey’s application to BRICS is driven by two key incentives. “The first is Turkey’s aspiration to enhance its strategic autonomy in foreign policy,” Ulgen explained. “This essentially involves improving ties with non-Western powers like Russia and China in a way to balance the relationship with the West.”
The second incentive, he noted, is Turkey’s growing frustration with the West, particularly the European Union. Turkey’s efforts to update its customs union agreement with the EU have been stalled for years, and Ankara has expressed discontent with what it perceives as a lack of meaningful engagement from Brussels.
Turkey’s interest in BRICS is not new. In 2018, Erdogan expressed his desire for Turkey to become a member of the group, though formal steps were not taken at the time. During a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow in June 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Turkey’s interest in joining BRICS and promised Moscow’s support for Turkey’s application.
Turkey’s growing ties with Russia have been a subject of concern for some of its Western allies, especially since the start of the war in Ukraine. While Turkey has provided military aid to Ukraine and helped facilitate the grain export deal between Ukraine and Russia, it has also maintained close economic and diplomatic relations with Moscow.
One of the key areas where Turkey holds significant influence is the Black Sea region, which has been central to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The Montreux Convention, a 1936 international treaty, gives Turkey control over the straits connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. The convention distinguishes between Black Sea and non-Black Sea powers, giving Black Sea nations like Russia and Ukraine certain privileges when it comes to naval traffic.
In March 2022, Erdogan invoked the Montreux Convention to limit the passage of naval vessels through the Turkish Straits, a move aimed at curbing the escalation of hostilities in the Black Sea. However, some experts believe that if Turkey becomes a BRICS member, Putin may attempt to leverage this relationship to gain more favorable terms for Russian access to the Black Sea. Currently, Russia’s inability to fully control the Black Sea and its shipping routes is weakening its ability to strangle Ukraine’s economy.
BRICS: An Alternative to Western-Led Alliances?
BRICS has often been portrayed as a counterweight to Western-led organizations such as the G7, NATO, and the European Union. While the G7 is comprised of the world’s largest advanced economies, BRICS is seen as a coalition of emerging powers that seeks to reshape global governance in ways that reflect the interests of the Global South.
The recent expansion of BRICS, with the inclusion of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE, underscores the group’s ambition to become a more prominent player in global economic and political affairs. For Turkey, joining BRICS could provide access to new markets, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It could also enhance its geopolitical standing by aligning with countries that are increasingly challenging Western dominance in global institutions.
Erdogan has framed Turkey’s potential membership in BRICS as part of a broader strategy to diversify its economic partnerships and expand its influence in non-Western regions. This aligns with Ankara’s long-standing goal of playing a more active role in shaping the future of global governance, especially as the world moves away from a unipolar system dominated by the United States.
Turkey’s NATO Membership and Western Alliances
Despite Turkey’s increasing engagement with non-Western powers, its membership in NATO remains a cornerstone of its foreign policy. Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 and continues to play a crucial role in the alliance, particularly as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East. In recent years, Turkey has participated in numerous NATO operations and exercises, reaffirming its commitment to the alliance.
However, Turkey’s overtures to Russia and China have caused unease among some of its NATO allies. The purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system in 2019, for example, led to tensions with the United States and resulted in Turkey’s removal from the F-35 fighter jet program. Similarly, Turkey’s cooperation with China on infrastructure projects has raised concerns about its long-term strategic orientation.
Nevertheless, most experts agree that Turkey is unlikely to abandon its Western alliances entirely. Instead, Erdogan’s approach seems to be aimed at increasing Turkey’s diplomatic flexibility, allowing it to engage with both the East and the West as it sees fit. As Ulgen pointed out, Turkey’s goal is to enhance its strategic autonomy without severing ties with its Western partners.
As Turkey’s BRICS application is considered during the upcoming summit in Kazan, the global community will be closely watching the outcome. If Turkey is accepted, it would mark a significant milestone in the group’s evolution and could further shift the balance of power in the global economic and political landscape.
For Turkey, BRICS membership could open up new economic opportunities, particularly in non-Western markets, and strengthen its role as a key player in global geopolitics. However, it also risks complicating its relationships with NATO and the European Union, both of which may view Turkey’s move as a step away from Western alignment.
Turkey’s decision to pursue BRICS membership reflects the broader trend of countries reassessing their foreign policies in an increasingly multipolar world. For Erdogan, the goal is clear: to position Turkey as a more independent, influential actor on the global stage, capable of engaging with both East and West while advancing its national interests.
Whether this strategy will succeed in the long run remains to be seen, but for now, Turkey’s bid to join BRICS is a clear indication of its intent to play a more prominent role in shaping the future of global governance.
