Ankara’s strategic maneuvering takes a significant turn as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declares the nation’s intent to engage with the BRICS group of nations. This bold move, slated for discussion at an imminent meeting in Russia, marks a notable departure from Turkey’s traditional aspirations of European Union membership. When one NATO ally Turkey signals interest in BRICS membership, that poses concerns for Washington and whether or not the Pentagon had foreseen this shift to the East for quite some time or was yet another misjudgment.
Fidan, articulating Turkey’s stance during a visit to China, highlighted the enduring obstacles impeding its EU accession, particularly opposition from certain member states. In light of this, Ankara now perceives BRICS as a viable avenue for integration, presenting an alternative platform for strategic collaboration.
Acknowledging BRICS’ evolving stature as a crucial cooperation nexus, Fidan underscored the allure of this consortium for nations seeking alternatives. While recognizing BRICS’ developmental journey, Ankara sees substantial potential within the group.
Anticipation mounts as this NATO ally Turkey signals interest in BRICS membership and prepares to engage with BRICS counterparts at an upcoming foreign ministers’ gathering in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. The inclusivity of this forum, encompassing a diverse array of nations such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, reflects BRICS’ global reach.
Russia, presiding over this year’s summit, has warmly received Turkey’s overtures toward BRICS. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov affirmed the inclusion of Turkey’s membership aspirations on the summit agenda, albeit cautioning about the group’s capacity to accommodate all interested parties fully.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed this sentiment, emphasizing BRICS’ open-door policy toward nations spanning diverse economic and political landscapes. Lavrov underscored the fundamental principle of sovereign equality as pivotal for membership, contrasting it with the challenges encountered by Western counterparts.
As NATO ally Turkey signals interest in BRICS membership, it also, by cause and effect suggests a strategic pivot toward BRICS underscores its proactive pursuit of alternative alliances, signaling a recalibration of regional and global dynamics. As Ankara navigates this diplomatic terrain, the implications of its overtures to BRICS reverberate across geopolitical spheres, heralding a paradigm shift in strategic alignments.
In summary, the Western view of the expanded BRICS is one of economically strong(er), yet geopolitically weak(er), and while they may rebalance the global order, any thoughts of replacing it are misguided. They see an eclectic mix of different political, economic, and cultural systems, including democracies, autocratic monarchies, authoritarian regimes, and an Islamic theocracy lay bare the difficulties associated with reaching a common ground on any new system of global governance. By contrast, the Western-dominated system they seek to counteract, while not perfect, is far more homogenous, founded on a well-established rule-based order, and without the scale of geopolitical tensions that engulf the newly expanded BRICS. The so-called homogenous character of the Western world is, in fact, a facade. The cohesion and conformity from one ethnic culture to another are manufactured. Resistance to expressions of the native culture is managed by funding of NGOs and the mainstream media. Any dissenting voices from the narrative and the acceptance of the monoculture are quickly silenced.
