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Kremlin sees conflict of interest between Turkey's SCO hopes, NATO membership

"As you can see, numerous countries are seeking to join the SCO, and this topic is always on the agenda," Dmitry Peskov stressed

MOSCOW, July 12. /TASS/. The Kremlin is aware of Ankara’s desire to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) but Turkey’s NATO membership runs counter to the founding documents of the regional organization, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Indeed, we are aware of Turkey’s ambition to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, but there is a conflict of interest between Turkey’s commitments <…> as a member of the North Atlantic Alliance and the ideology reflected in the founding documents of the SCO," Peskov explained.

While the Kremlin spokesman did not say exactly when Turkey could be admitted, "there are certain issues that need to be discussed," he added. "As you can see, numerous countries are seeking to join the SCO, and this topic is always on the agenda," Peskov explained.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told reporters following the NATO summit in Washington that Ankara is poised to become a full member of the SCO. Erdogan attended the SCO summit in Astana on July 3-4. After the trip to Kazakhstan, he announced his intention to develop relations with Russia and China via the organization.

Earlier, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming said that Turkey, even despite its NATO membership, actively participates in the organization’s activities, which are not aimed against other states. According to Zhang, the interaction with Ankara is based on the principles set out in the charter of the organization, and in accordance with the "Shanghai spirit."

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Foreign policy SCO Turkey

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