# Turkey applies to join BRICS as EU talks stall
Turkey has formally applied to join the BRICS grouping of major emerging economies, according to a report from Daily Sabah, in a sign that Ankara is seeking broader strategic room as its European Union accession process remains stalled.
The report, published on September 2, 2024, says the Turkish request was driven in part by frustration over the lack of progress in the EU bid. That would make BRICS not just an economic forum in this context but also a geopolitical signal: Turkey is showing interest in alternatives to the Euro-Atlantic path that has framed so much of its modern foreign policy.
The timing matters because the BRICS bloc has increasingly attracted interest from states that want more influence outside Western institutions. For Turkey, a NATO member with deep trade and security ties to Europe and the Middle East, the application suggests a willingness to diversify its diplomatic and economic options rather than wait indefinitely for movement from Brussels.
The supplied evidence is short, but it supports a larger interpretation. A formal application is not a vague expression of interest; it is a deliberate step. Even if the outcome remains uncertain, the application itself signals that Turkey sees value in positioning itself alongside Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, plus any expanded members or partners associated with the bloc.
The report does not say how BRICS members will respond or whether Turkey’s application has already advanced through any formal process. It also does not detail whether Ankara is pursuing membership as a full geopolitical shift or as leverage in its relationship with the European Union. Those questions remain open.
What is clear is that the move reflects a familiar pattern in Turkish diplomacy: using one international track to strengthen its hand on another. By looking at BRICS, Ankara can signal that it has options, that it is not dependent on EU accession alone, and that it intends to engage with a broader array of emerging-power institutions.
For European policymakers, the application is likely to be read as a warning that Turkey is becoming less patient with a process that has dragged on for years. For BRICS, it is evidence that the bloc’s appeal extends beyond its original membership and into the strategic calculations of medium-sized powers.
