(Ankara) Turkey has submitted an application to join the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) bloc of emerging countries, the ruling party’s spokesman said on Tuesday.
“Our president has repeatedly stated that we want to become a member of BRICS. […] “The process is underway,” said Ömer Çelik, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamist-conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“If there is any concrete development regarding our BRICS membership, any decision or assessment of BRICS, we will share it with you,” Çelik said at a press conference.
“Our president has clearly stated that Turkey wants to take part in all important platforms, including BRICS,” Çelik added.
Created with four members (Brazil, China, India and Russia) in 2009, the bloc was joined by South Africa in 2010, and has since expanded to several other countries including Egypt and Iran.
“We do not see BRICS as an alternative to any other structure,” said President Erdogan in July, whose country is still officially a candidate for membership in the European Union.