Turkey would not benefit from BRICS membership

Significance Days before the summit, Fidan said Turkey would seek membership of the group, echoing similar statements expressed in the past by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has also mooted membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Despite Ankara’s increasing attempts to find alternatives to Western-led international institutions, doubts remain over whether the benefits of hedging against the West outweigh the costs. Impacts Ankara will prioritise economic ties with the EU over a formal application for BRICS membership. Erdogan will attend both NATO and SCO summits in July, signalling Ankara’s continued commitment to balancing East-West relations. Turkey’s attendance as an observer at BRICS and SCO meetings are unlikely to cause a rupture in relations with the West.