With the country’s interest in joining BRICS growing as the 2024 Summit approaches, could Turkey leave NATO for the alliance this year? The nation has continued to discuss the prospect of its position in the BRICS bloc. Moreover, questions have arisen regarding how that could affect its global standing amid a shifting economic landscape.
In 2023, the alliance welcomed four nations in its first expansion effort in more than two decades. Indeed, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Iran, and Ethiopia accepted an invitation to join the group. This year, there is less certainty regarding whether or not the bloc will expand its ranks for a second straight year.
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Turkey Clarifies NATO Status Amid Intention to Join BRICS
The BRICS bloc has been one of the most interesting global developments over the last year. It represents an emerging collective of nations seeking to rewrite the status quo. Specifically, they have embraced continued initiatives that challenge Western economic dominance on a global scale.
Those pursuits have continued to drive interest. A plethora of countries have sought to be included in the expanded economic bloc. Among them is Turkey, which has become the first country to seek BRICS membership while being included in NATO.
With the geopolitical implications of a NATO nation joining the BRICS bloc, the country has recently clarified what its application means for its status within the military alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently discussed its place in both collectives.
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The president said he “cannot ignore the fact,” that it has a robust partnership with Europe and the West. However, he also noted the country has a “deep history,” of collaboration with Arab nations. Altogether, it was noted that inclusion in one doesn’t indicate a desire to abandon the other.
“Just because we are a NATO country, we cannot sever our ties with the Turkic and Islamic worlds,” the leader said. “BRICS and ASEAN are structures that provide us with opportunities for economic cooperation. Participation in these structures does not mean abandoning NATO. We do not believe that these alliances and cooperation are alternatives to each other.”
Although there is geopolitical tension between the groups, there is truly no correlation. BRICS is an alliance of economic focus, while NATO is militaristic in its organization. Therefore, Trueky can exist in both seamlessly. However, that doesn’t change the importance of it potentially being the first country included in both.