BRICS offers Turkey ‘partner country’ status, says the Turkish Trade Minister

ANKARA – Turkey has been given the status of “partner country” by Turkey BRICSTurkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said this after Ankara announced its request to join the bloc as a full member in September.

“They offered Turkey a partner membership status,” Bolat said in an interview with TVNet Television on Wednesday. The status is part of a “transition process” to join the bloc, he added.

Bolat did not clarify whether Turkey accepted the status.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party confirmed in September that Ankara had launched an initiative to join the bloc. Ankara’s frustrations with the EU, its largest trading partner, are growing over the upcoming resumption of modernization of the customs union treaty with the bloc. BRICS membership offers the opportunity to diversify trade relations. Ankara’s desire to join the bloc also stems from the balancing act between Western capitals and emerging economies known as the Global South.

The bloc “has positioned itself more as a form of political cooperation, international relations and a center to counter the West’s desire to rule the world through hegemony,” Bolat said on Wednesday.

Erdogan also attended the bloc’s summit in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, in Russia on October 22 and 24.

In addition to Turkey, there are many other emerging economies, including Belarus, Malaysia and Thailand also tried to join the bloc, which is positioning itself as an alternative to the G7. Earlier this week, Belarus was also offered “partner membership” status, Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency reported, citing the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

The bloc was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. In the following years, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates also joined the bloc.

“Partner country” status was first introduced at last month’s BRICS summit in Kazan, according to the organization’s statement on October 23, Reuters reported.

“We welcome the significant interest from countries of the South in the BRICS and we endorse the modalities of the BRICS partner country category,” the statement said.