World: Turkey faces an unexpected obstacle to joining BRICS

The world is undergoing a geopolitical overhaul. As tensions between great powers shape international relations, economic alliances are evolving at unprecedented speed. At the heart of this new world order, the BRICS, a bloc of large emerging economies, are establishing themselves as a key player capable of reshaping global balances. This group, once limited to five members, has recently opened up to new candidates, adding giants like Iran and Saudi Arabia to its ranks. It is in this context that Turkey, led by its President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, is seeking to join this influential alliance. A strategic decision which comes as the prospects of membership in the European Union fade, pushing Ankara to diversify its economic and geopolitical partnerships. But this candidacy is not unanimous: the BRICS, still in the consolidation phase after their last enlargement, could be slow to take new decisions. This, despite the growing interest of around twenty countries to join the group.

The BRICS facing the Turkish candidacy: consolidation before expansion

At a recent press conference following the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said that BRICS was not considering new membership at the moment. The statement comes even as Turkey, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, officially submitted its application to join this group of emerging economies.

Lavrov clarified that, even if more than twenty countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, including around ten with official candidacies like Turkey, current members consider it necessary to consolidate the bloc before considering further expansion. . There were five of us, there are ten of us now, he recalledreferring to the recent accession of Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. According to Lavrov, this adaptation phase is essential to ensure a smooth integration of new members into the organization.

This cautious stance highlights the importance for BRICS to maintain a balance between its historic members and new entrants in a rapidly changing global context. The addition of five new nations to the original group has significantly expanded the geopolitical and economic reach of BRICS, which now represents 45% of the world's population and nearly 28% of global GDP. This rapid expansion, however, requires internal adjustments before accepting new members, such as Turkey, which aims to diversify its partnerships after recurring blockages in its accession process to the European Union.

Diplomatic and geopolitical challenges

Turkey's candidacy for BRICS is part of a strategy of international repositioning, while its relations with the European Union are stagnating. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan clearly stated that if Turkey had joined the European Union, it probably would not have considered joining BRICS. For Ankara, this bloc represents an opportunity to diversify its economic and strategic alliances in a global context where geopolitical lines are rapidly being redrawn.

However, this ambition is far from unanimous. Even if Turkey's membership in NATO does not constitute, according to Lavrov, a direct obstacle to its membership, Turkey's support for Ukraine, in particular through the supply of drones, raises questions among members BRICS, in favor of a coherent approach to major international issues, particularly those linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Tensions surrounding Turkey's foreign policy, particularly its ambivalent stance toward Russia and Ukraine, add a layer of complexity to its candidacy. Ankara, although not participating in Western sanctions against Moscow, maintains close ties with kyiv, which could complicate its integration into a bloc where Russia plays a central role. Despite these obstacles, Turkey hopes that its economic weight and its strategic position between Europe and Asia will work in its favor, in particular to strengthen its ties with the other emerging members of the BRICS, in the hope of finding alternatives to Western alliances.

If Turkey's accession to BRICS reflects a clear desire to move away from the shadow of the West, it raises questions about the coherence of its foreign policy and its ability to navigate between sometimes contradictory alliances. The BRICS summit in Kazan next October could provide some clarity, but for now, Turkey's integration remains uncertain.

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