Leash-slipping, not leash-cutting: Türkiye’s BRICS bid and the search for autonomy within the transatlantic hierarchy

Western analyses depict Türkiye’s recent application to join BRICS as an ‘axis shift’ from the transatlantic order. This study presents a fresh perspective grounded in the theoretical lens of hierarchy studies and ‘leash-slipping’. From this perspective, we argue that Türkiye’s BRICS initiative illustrates a leash-slipping act to recalibrate asymmetric dependence by enhancing its autonomy while remaining integrated within the U.S.-led Transatlantic hierarchical order. Using government statements and other research, we identify four structural factors in the Transatlantic hierarchy that motivate Türkiye’s BRICS bid: limitations on sovereignty, risks of coercion and entrapment, a decline in trust in the provision of public goods by Transatlantic order, and persistent inequalities in representation and benefit-sharing. The results indicate that Türkiye’s aspiration for BRICS membership signifies a pursuit of ‘autonomy within hierarchy’ through leash-slipping. Additionally, Türkiye prefers leash-slipping to leash-cutting due to the specific assets offered by the Transatlantic hierarchy that are not currently supplemented by the BRICS.