FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Turkish president has repeatedly called for an overhaul of the United Nations Security Council to expand its five permanent members and has expressed interest in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, created by Russia and China as a NATO rival.
Turkey has formally sought to join the BRICS group of emerging market countries as it seeks to strengthen its global influence and forge new ties beyond its traditional Western allies.
The view of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration is that the geopolitical center of gravity is shifting away from developed economies, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.
The country's new diplomatic push reflects its aspirations to cultivate ties with all parties in a multipolar world, while still fulfilling its obligations as a key member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, writes Bloomberg.
Spanning Europe and Asia, Turkey submitted a request to join BRICS several months ago amid frustration over the lack of progress in its decades-long bid to join the European Union, the people added. The offer is also partly the result of rifts with other NATO members as Turkey maintained close ties with Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the people added. Turkey's Foreign Ministry and presidency declined to comment.
"Turkey can become a strong, prosperous, prestigious and effective country if it improves its relations with the East and the West simultaneously," Erdogan said in Istanbul over the weekend. "Any method other than this will not benefit Turkey, but will harm it."
The BRICS group, named after Brazil, Russia, India and China and South Africa, includes some of the largest emerging economies. It gained four new members earlier this year when Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt joined its ranks. Saudi Arabia was invited to join, although the kingdom has yet to do so.
Further expansion of the group could be discussed during a summit in Kazan, Russia, from Oct. 22-24, the people said. Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey's close ally Azerbaijan are among the other countries seeking to join.
BRICS advertises itself as an alternative to what its members see as Western-dominated institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. New members could potentially access financing through its development bank, as well as expand their political and trade relations.
Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party has long accused Western countries of thwarting Turkish aspirations for a self-sufficient defense industry and strong economy. The president has repeatedly called for an overhaul of the United Nations Security Council to expand its five permanent members and has expressed interest in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, created by Russia and China. as a rival of NATO.
"We don't have to choose between the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as some people claim," Erdogan said. "On the contrary, we must develop our relations with both these and other organizations on a favorable basis.
"BRICS is an organization that increases the diversity of approaches, identities and policies in the global economic system," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after attending a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in June.
However, Turkey is making parallel efforts to renew membership talks with the EU. This remains "a strategic objective," Fidan said last week after attending informal talks with EU counterparts for the first time in five years. / Taken by Bloomberg
Lini një Përgjigje