NATO state ‘determined’ to engage with BRICS – president

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has traveled to Russia for the BRICS summit, having applied to join last month

Türkiye is determined to deepen its cooperation with BRICS, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said at the group’s 16th annual leaders’ summit, arguing that it “contributes in a unique way to the establishment of a just world order.”  

The Turkish president, along with several ministers, arrived in the Russian city of Kazan on Wednesday to attend the meeting. While not yet a member of the group, last month Ankara announced that it had submitted an application to join.

Speaking at the event on Thursday, Erdogan said that “Türkiye is determined to develop dialogue with BRICS,” noting that his country has already established close ties with its member states “on the basis of mutual respect and beneficial cooperation.”  

The Turkish leader stressed the significance of such formats at a time of growing socio-economic instability and a changing balance of power in the world. According to Erdogan, the tools developed after the end of World War II are failing to effectively tackle the many of the challenges now faced by the global community.   

He added that his country “places particular emphasis on uniting with friends in multilateral platforms and searching for solutions to common problems based on common sense,” as quoted by TASS. 

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Erdogan pointed out that the deepening of cooperation within BRICS and other similar formats could help ensure “equitable global development and security.” 

The Turkish president emphasized that Ankara is already a member or a co-founder of multiple international organizations and groups, such as the G20.   

Commenting on Türkiye’s aspirations to join BRICS, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Tuesday said that it was Ankara’s “sovereign right” to pursue that goal. He acknowledged that “there will always be debates on this and that” among the 32 member states of the US-led military bloc.

He stressed however, that Türkiye remains a “very important ally” and plays a “vital role” within NATO.

Turkish officials have previously explained that the stalled accession process to the European Union was one of their reasons for more actively exploring “other economic platforms.”