Putin 'Fully Supports' Turkey Joining BRICS+

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Facts

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday reinforced Moscow's support for Turkey joining the BRICS+ bloc in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the bloc's foreign ministers' meeting.1
  • During the talks in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, Putin reportedly said that the group welcomes 'Türkiye's interest in the work of BRICS,' voicing support for Ankara's 'desire to be together with the countries of this union.'2
  • At the BRICS+ meeting, Putin also called for increased cooperation between the BRICS+ countries to promote international security and deepen global coordination.3
  • In talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov earlier on Tuesday, Fidan raised 'economic issues that are important for Turkey,' with the two also discussing the war in Gaza before Fidan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.4
  • Further talks during Fidan's two-day visit included efforts to increase mutual investments and to achieve a trade volume goal of $100B agreed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart.5
  • Chaired by Lavrov, the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting was the first since the bloc expanded in 2023 [and was then informally dubbed 'BRICS+'] to include Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia, in addition to the initial members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.6

Sources: 1AL, 2Hürriyet Daily News, 3TASS, 4Duvar English, 5Trtworld and 6Dailynewsegypt.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. It's only natural that Turkey has a strategic interest in joining the BRICS+ as they represent a shift in global power dynamics. The West may view this with suspicion, but Turkey does not see the BRICS+ as an alternative to NATO or the EU, but the stalled EU accession process is forcing Turkey to explore alternatives. Turkey is keen to create a network of relations that complements its Western ties, and compared to the G7, the BRICS+ represents the future of multilateralism.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Yetkin Report. It comes as no surprise that Putin is keen to welcome Turkey into the BRICS+, as he is seeking to lend the alliance additional geopolitical weight in tandem with China. But the headlines distort reality. Turkey has a Customs Union with the EU and so far Ankara has neither formally applied for BRICS membership nor officially declared that it wants to join the bloc. Turkey may be looking for new cooperation opportunities, but Ankara — a powerful NATO member — is well-advised not to alienate the West.

Predictions