Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said the country wouldn’t be seeking BRICS membership if it had been accepted into the European Union.
Speaking on Thursday during a live broadcast at the state-run Anadolu news agency headquarters in Ankara, Fidan emphasized Turkey’s ongoing efforts to diversify its global alliances while continuing to pursue EU membership.
“Had our economic integration with the European Union been crowned with membership, we wouldn’t have needed to explore alternatives like BRICS,” Fidan said.
Turkey has formally requested to join the BRICS group of emerging-market nations, which currently consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
Turkey’s interest in BRICS comes as the group expands its membership.
Russia, which holds the rotating BRICS presidency this year, will host a BRICS summit October 22-24 in Kazan, where the expansion of the group is expected to be a major topic of discussion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reportedly accepted an invitation to attend the upcoming summit.
BRICS member countries represent a substantial portion of the global economy. With a combined population of 3.5 billion — about 45 percent of the world’s total — the BRICS nations account for roughly 28 percent of global economic output. BRICS countries also produce nearly 44 percent of the world’s crude oil.
Founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS was originally known as BRIC until the inclusion of South Africa in 2011. The group has sought to increase the influence of developing nations in global affairs, and in 2014 it established the New Development Bank to fund infrastructure projects in member countries.
Fidan noted that Turkey is also interested in strengthening ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stating that global partnerships are necessary to navigate an increasingly complex world. He added that Turkey has a tradition of forming alliances and is actively involved in various regional economic cooperation organizations, including the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the D-8 group of developing Islamic countries.
Turkey’s journey toward EU membership began in 1963 with the signing of the Ankara Agreement, establishing an association with the European Economic Community (EEC). This relationship deepened in 1995 when Turkey entered into a customs union with the EU, allowing tariff-free trade but falling short of full membership. Official EU candidacy status was granted in 1999, and accession negotiations started in 2005, with Turkey working to align its laws and policies with EU standards.
However, progress has stalled due to several factors, including concerns over human rights, democratic governance and the unresolved Cyprus dispute. Tensions between Turkey and the EU intensified after a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, with subsequent political crackdowns raising alarm in European capitals. As a result, EU membership talks have effectively been frozen in recent years.
Despite these challenges, Turkey formally remains a candidate for EU membership.