Turkey Attempts to Join BRICS

By Julian Fischer-Lhamon

A few days ago Turkey attended a BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. The significance of this is underline by Turkey’s bid to join the group, which would make it the first NATO country to do so. This maneuver does not necessarily imply that Turkey is shifting away from the West, although relations with the EU and the US are not as rosy as they once were (Turkey’s long frustration in joining the EU, US support for Kurds, and Erdogan’s support for Palestine are all sources of conflict), rather, they are seeking additional avenues to pursue their national interest. Turkish leadership hopes to increase its influence and security by balancing both East and West, similar to how Constantinople for centuries was the nexus between the European and Islamic-Asian world.

Although BRICS has been seen by some in the West as a laughing stock over the years, the group’s recent pursuit of an alternative to SWIFT, its increasing intra-BRICS trade (doubling in the last twenty years), and courting of potential new member states such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, shows that the group is mounting a serious attempt of challenging American hegemony and the predominant Western order. According to preliminary reports, Turkey’s attempt to gain membership in BRICS did not even come to a vote due to Indian resistance due to Ankara’s cordial relations with Pakistan. If this is true, Turkish strategy will need to be reassessed unless clever Turkish diplomacy can find some way to assuage Indian fears.