Turkish official: No significant progress in BRICS membership talks

Spokesman for Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Omer Celik has said that negotiations regarding Türkiye's potential accession to BRICS are ongoing, but no significant progress has been made yet.

Celik made these remarks during a briefing, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media. 

“If there is noticeable progress in this sphere, we will share it with you. However, there is no significant progress at the moment,” he emphasised.

Celik also reminded that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly expressed the need for Ankara to integrate into BRICS.

Türkiye had officially applied to join BRICS. Türkiye is seeking to enhance its global influence and establish new connections beyond its traditional Western allies. Following Türkiye's application to BRICS, the EU reached out to Türkiye to discuss the implications of its bid. BRICS is an acronym for an association of five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The group was originally known as BRIC until South Africa joined in 2010, expanding the acronym. 

Established in 2009, BRICS was created to foster collaboration among these countries in various fields such as economic development, political dialogue, and cultural exchange. The organisation aims to enhance the global influence of its member states and provide a platform for coordination on international economic and political issues. The primary goal of BRICS is to promote peace, security, and development across the member states and in the broader global context. The group seeks to reform global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to better reflect the economic weight of emerging economies. BRICS countries collaborate on a range of issues including trade, investment, and sustainable development.