Turkey Applies to Join BRICS Amidst EU Integration Stalls

Turkey has officially applied to join the BRICS group, Bloomberg reports. This move comes as Turkey’s long-standing bid to join the European Union remains unresolved. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan views the BRICS expansion, which now includes countries like Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, as a strategic opportunity to bolster Turkey’s global influence and engage with developing nations.

Turkey’s application reflects its disappointment with the slow progress of its EU membership and tensions with NATO allies. The request will be considered at the next BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, from October 22-24. Established in 2006 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, BRICS added South Africa in 2011 and recently expanded to include five new members as of January 1, 2024.

The group was designed to bring together the world’s most important developing countries, to challenge the political and economic power of the wealthier nations of North America and Western Europe.