Türkiye has the right to cooperate with BRICS

According to RCO News Agency, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in response to Turkey’s request to join the BRICS group, stated: “Turkey has the right to cooperate with the BRICS economic group without weakening its position as a NATO member.”

The NATO Secretary General made these comments at a press conference in Estonia on Tuesday.

Asked by Radio Estonia whether Ankara’s willingness to join BRICS, which the outlet described as a “Russian-dominated organization,” should be a cause for concern, Rutte stressed that Turkey remains “a very important ally in this alliance.” .

Explaining the reason for this issue, he said: “Türkiye is one of the most equipped NATO military forces and plays a vital role in a part of NATO’s geography.”

Of course, the NATO Secretary General admitted in another part of his statement: “Obviously, within the alliance, as a democracy, among the 32 member states, there will always be discussions about this and that.”

However, he insisted that Ankara has a “sovereign right” to seek membership in BRICS and cooperate with its members, according to the Russian network Rashatudi.

Rutte added: “Türkiye’s request to join BRICS may lead to bilateral or even internal discussions from time to time. But this does not mean that Türkiye is not popular. “NATO is very popular in Türkiye and this country is very popular in NATO.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently participating in the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, and is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin there and discuss bilateral relations, the Ukraine crisis and the situation in West Asia. .

Last month, Ankara also announced that it had formally submitted an application for full BRICS membership, becoming the first NATO country to seek membership in the group.

However, Türkiye’s request has raised concerns in Brussels. “Peter Stano”, the spokesperson of the European Union, has emphasized that Ankara, which has been a candidate for the European Union since 1999, and despite having the right to choose international organizations to join, Turkey must respect the values ​​of the European Union and foreign policy preferences.

Earlier, Turkish officials told Middle East Eye that while Ankara did not see BRICS as an alternative to NATO or the EU, the “stalled EU accession process” had encouraged them to explore “other economic platforms.”

According to Sputnik, the BRICS summit will be held from October 22 to 24 in Kazan, Russia. BRICS is an intergovernmental association that was established in 2006.

Russia assumed the presidency of BRICS on January 1, 2024. This year started with the addition of new members to this association; In addition to Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa, it now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Russia’s BRICS presidency is held under the slogan of strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security. As part of its presidency, the Russian Federation will organize more than 200 political, economic and social events.

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