The move reflects Turkey's dissatisfaction with the West over the prolonged negotiations to become a member of the EU, which have been stalled since 2005. Russia said BRICS would discuss taking in new members during a meeting next month, as per the AP.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has established himself as a mediator between the East and the West to strengthen Turkey's global influence by establishing a more independent foreign policy. Despite joining the US-dominated military alliance NATO in 1952, Erdogan has rejected Western sanctions on Russia over its war against Ukraine and has criticized America's support for Israel.
He also recently played a crucial role in prisoner swap negotiations between Moscow and Washington.
"Turkey can become a strong, prosperous, prestigious, and effective country if it improves its relations with the East and the West simultaneously," Erdogan said during a press brief in Istanbul last week.
"We have to develop our relations with both these and other organizations on a win-win basis," he added. "Any method other than this will not benefit Turkey, but will harm it."
The BRICS alliance, which rivals the US-led G7 nations, poses a threat to the United States. Next month, 126 nations are set to meet in Russia to contemplate abandoning the US dollar. BRICS is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and has a no-limit membership. The United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Egypt joined earlier this year.
Sinan Ulgen, the head of the Istanbul-based think tank EDAM, told Newsweek that Turkey's decision to apply for BRICS was "a strategy to strengthen relations with non-Western powers at a time when the US hegemony is waning."
He added, "The bilateral relationship with the US has also been problematic."
