World: Turkey faces an unexpected obstacle to joining BRICS

The world is in the midst of a geopolitical reorganization. While tensions between great powers shape international relations, economic alliances are evolving at unprecedented speed. At the heart of this new world order, BRICS, a bloc of large emerging economies, is asserting itself as a key player capable of reshaping global balances. This group, formerly 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, under the leadership of its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is seeking to join this influential alliance. A strategic decision which comes as the prospects of membership in the European Union become more distant, pushing Ankara to diversify its economic and geopolitical partnerships. However, this candidacy is not unanimous: BRICS, still in the consolidation phase after its last enlargement, could procrastinate before taking new decisions. And this, despite the growing interest of around twenty nations to join the group.

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, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, said that BRICS was not considering new memberships for the moment. The statement comes as Turkey, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, formally submitted its application to join this group of emerging economies.

Lavrov clarified that, although more than twenty countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, including around ten with official candidacies such as that of Turkey, current members consider it necessary to “consolidate” the bloc before considering a new expansion. “There were five of us, now there are ten of us,” he said. 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 arrivals, in a changing global context. The addition of five new nations to the initial grouping 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. However, this rapid expansion requires internal adjustment before accepting new members, such as Turkey, which aspires to diversify its partnerships after recurring blockages in its European Union accession process.

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. Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister, clearly expressed that if Turkey had joined the European Union, it probably would not have considered joining BRICS. This bloc represents an opportunity for Ankara 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. If Turkey's membership in NATO does not constitute, according to Lavrov, a direct obstacle to its accession, Turkish support for Ukraine, in particular through the supply of drones, raises questions within BRICS members , which favor a coherent approach to major international issues, in particular those linked to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Tensions over Turkish foreign policy, including its ambivalent stance toward Russia and Ukraine, add a layer of complexity to his candidacy. Ankara, although not participating in Western sanctions against Moscow, has maintained 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 ties with the other emerging members of BRICS, in the hope of finding alternatives to Western alliances.

If Turkey's BRICS candidacy 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 offer avenues for clarification, but for the moment, Turkey's integration remains uncertain.