SHANGHAI, September 6. /TASS/. Turkey's application for joining BRICS will encourage other countries of the Middle East to join the association, Han Jianwei, an expert from the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, has told TASS.
"Turkey's bid to join BRICS means that after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries become BRICS members, another major country will join the organization. This is likely to have an encouraging effect and serve as an incentive for other Middle East countries to follow suit. This is beneficial for regional economic cooperation and integration in the Middle East," the expert believes.
In his opinion, Turkey's corresponding decision stems from its intention to enhance its status in the changing geopolitical order amid the world’s irreversible drift to multipolarity.
"Accession to BRICS will benefit Turkey's cooperation with China and Russia, as well as the economies of other developing countries, and will help strengthen Turkey's position as a center of trade, energy and logistics between the East and the West. At the same time, it is also an alternative for Turkey after its numerous attempts to join the European Union were rejected," he said.
At the same time, Han believes that Turkey's accession to BRICS should not affect its relations with the Western countries.
"Turkey should strive for a more diversified and balanced diplomacy and have more strategic autonomy in East-West relations. In fact, relations between Turkey and the Western countries will not be affected by any factor," he pointed out.
On September 2, Bloomberg quoted sources as saying that the Turkish authorities had applied for joining BRICS several months ago. According to the agency, the association’s expansion may be considered at the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 22-24, where Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has been invited. Later, the spokesman for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, Omer Celik, said that Erdogan has repeatedly spoken about the wish to join BRICS, but there are no concrete decisions regarding Turkey's membership of the organization. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said on September 4 that BRICS would consider Turkey's application for full membership of the alliance.