Dissatisfied with EU, Turkiye talks up BRICS outreach

Ankara has also reached out to China’s SCO and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in its effort to form prosperous alliances

News Desk - The Cradle

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed on 24 June that Turkiye is continuing dialogue with the BRICS group of emerging economies.

“We have relations and are holding talks, negotiations with the BRICS countries and they’re also going through an evolution. If the EU had the will to take a step forward, our perspective on certain issues could be different,” Fidan said in an interview on Monday. 

Ankara has grown increasingly frustrated with stalled attempts for Turkiye to join the EU. 

It has long been a member of NATO, but accession talks for Turkiye’s membership have faced a number of obstacles since they began in 2005. 

“There is a military alliance within NATO, but an economic alliance has not materialized. Therefore, our search has been underway,” Fidan added. 

As part of the effort to form prosperous economic alliances, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shown interest in joining China’s Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) and is set to attend the bloc’s meeting in Kazakhstan next week.

During the interview, the Turkish foreign minister went on to say that his country may apply for an upgraded dialogue partnership with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

At the 42nd ASEAN summit in May 2023, member states of the organization, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, signed a declaration aimed at enhancing regional connectivity payment in local currencies – a move to strengthen local economies and move away from traditional currencies, including the US dollar. 

After Russia became the most sanctioned nation in the world following the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, the BRICS bloc began seriously pursuing the creation of a common currency to de-dollarize trade and circumvent western sanctions. 

A coalition initially made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS at the start of this year expanded for the first time since 2010 to include Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the UAE. 

“The different and beautiful thing about BRICS compared to the EU is that it includes all civilizations and races. If it can become a little more institutional, it will produce serious benefits,” Fidan said. 

Fidan had said earlier this month during a trip to China that he sees BRICS as a “good alternative” to the EU, and that the bloc has “potential.”