Turkey's BRICS Bid A High-Stakes Hedge Against The West

Turkey's acceptance into the group could be discussed during the upcoming 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Malaysia, Thailand and Azerbaijan are among other countries expecting to join.

Turkey's balancing act between East and West is not a recent phenomenon but a continuation of its policies since the end of the Cold War and is in line with its geographical position at the edge of Europe and Asia.

This strategy has been central to Turkey's intricate, at times conflicting, approach to international relations and remains pertinent in an increasingly complex world. The shift from a unipolar world – the idea that the world is dominated by one superpower – to one with more global powers has led all governments to reassess their foreign policies, and Ankara is no different.

Turkey's longstanding commitment to NATO makes it highly unlikely that its willingness to join the BRICS group signifies a move away from its Western allies. Since 2016, Turkey has strengthened its economic, political and military ties with Russia and China, and its recent application to the BRICS group reflects this trend.

According to some experts in Turkish foreign policy, while this development may raise concerns in Western capitals, there is no pressing reason for the West to be alarmed about Turkey making concessions to Russia or acting independently of NATO.

There are two incentives driving Turkey's application . According to Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based Centre for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies:“The first is Turkey's aspiration to enhance its strategic autonomy in foreign policy which essentially involves improving ties with non-Western powers like Russia and China in a way to balance the relationship with the West.

The second is the accumulated frustrations over the relationship with the West. For example, the EU has not even been able to decide on the start of negotiations on the updating of the customs union, its trade deal with Turkey that dates back to 1996.”

Turkey has been keen on joining the BRICS group since 2018. Putin , during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow in June this year, welcomed Ankara's interest and promised that Moscow“will support this desire to be together with the countries of this alliance [Brics], to be together, closer, to solve common problems”.

Since the war in Ukraine, Russia has been making extra efforts to gain the support of more countries . Turkey holds a particular significance in this effort due to its strategic location, and its control of the Black Sea straits, an essential trade route for both Ukraine and Russia.

The Black Sea has played an important part in the Ukraine war , and Turkey has been part of an alliance that has stymied Russia's attempts to fully control the waters, and allowed Ukraine to continue to use the waters.

The Montreux Convention regulates maritime traffic through the Turkish Straits. The convention distinguishes between Black Sea and non-Black Sea powers, acknowledging specific advantages for the former, which includes Ukraine and Russia.

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In March 2022 , Erdogan indicated that the convention allows Turkey to restrict the passage of naval vessels belonging to warring parties. Putin may be hoping that with Turkey on board as a Brics ally he may be able to persuade Ankara to give him more leeway. Currently Russia's inability to control the Black Sea and cargo ships within it are seriously weakening its ability to constrain Ukraine's economy.

Turkey anticipates that BRICS membership will enhance its geopolitical standing and expand its economic influence, especially in non-western markets. Most importantly, leveraging its geopolitical position to influence global affairs and pursuing a more balanced and diversified foreign policy.

It is evident that Turkey aims to maintain its connections with the West while also desiring the flexibility to engage with other regions. It is highly improbable that this would lead to a significant overhaul of Turkey's ties with Western countries. It may, however, cause concern among fellow NATO members about how much they can rely on Turkey in the future.

Bulent Gokay is professor of international relations, Keele University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

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