President: Türkiye's presence in BRICS, ASEAN to transform regional dynamics

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Türkiye's accession to BRICS or   Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) does not signify a withdrawal from NATO and has the potential to shift the balance in regions. 

“I believe that our presence in BRICS and ASEAN will change the dynamics in the regions. It will lead to the creation of a completely different structure. BRICS and ASEAN are organisations that provide us with opportunities to enhance economic cooperation. Participating in their activities does not mean that we are turning our back on NATO,” President Erdogan told journalists upon returning from New York, where he participated in the UN General Assembly,” the Turkish leader said, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“We do not view these organisations as alternatives to one another. Although there is some international tension in today’s world, the Cold War era was gone long ago. There are those who advise us against joining BRICS or any other organisation. Ironically, these are the people who have kept us waiting for joining the EU for years. If we orient ourselves around their views, we will never be able to build our future,” President Erdogan noted.

The Turkish leader further emphasised that Türkiye cannot ignore the fact that, alongside its ties with continental Europe and America, it also has relationships with Central Asia, Russia, the Baltic region, and the Far East.

 “Türkiye has deep historical roots in the Arab world and strong connections with Gulf countries, as well as close relationships with Africa. Türkiye cannot sever these ties simply because it is a NATO member,” he added.

BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. The group's goal is to promote peace, security, and development, as well as to enhance economic growth through mutual cooperation. It seeks to provide an alternative to the global influence of Western powers.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established in Bangkok, Thailand on August 8, 1967, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on January 7, 1984, followed by Viet Nam on July 28, 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on July 23, 1997, and Cambodia on April 30, 1999, making up ten Member States of ASEAN.

By Naila Huseynova