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TURKEY: Kremlin Spox Says NATO Membership 'Not An Obstacle' To BRICS Accession

TURKEY

Russia's state-run TASS reports Kremlin spox Dmitry Peskov stating that NATO membership is 'not an obstacle' to joining the BRICS group. Peskov was commenting in regard to speculation that Turkey could join the group. In early September the Turkish gov't confirmed that it had submitted an official application to join the BRICS group. Turkey's stalled process of seeking to join the EU, in the deep freeze since a crackdown on the opposition following a failed military coup in 2016, is said to have spurred President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to seek out other geopolitical alliances. 

  • Any move towards BRICS membership could have significant ramifications for Ankara with regards to relations with NATO allies, most importantly the United States. As Bloomberg notes, the US has warned Turkey about the risk of firms and individuals being named on US sanctions lists related to Russia and Hamas.
  • Turkey's plans to purchase US-made F-16 fighter jets and other advanced US military tech also limit Ankara's ability to shift towards the BRICS group, which is viewed in many Western nations as a direct geopolitical and economic counter to the US-aligned G7.
  • Erdogan's attendance at the ongoing BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia could send some jitters around the NATO alliance. Stewart Patrick at the Carnegie Endowment think tank notes This is an example of Turkey showing that it has other diplomatic options and alignments...This allows Erdogan to take the mantle of a defender of emerging powers and not simply be in lockstep with the west.
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Russia's state-run TASS reports Kremlin spox Dmitry Peskov stating that NATO membership is 'not an obstacle' to joining the BRICS group. Peskov was commenting in regard to speculation that Turkey could join the group. In early September the Turkish gov't confirmed that it had submitted an official application to join the BRICS group. Turkey's stalled process of seeking to join the EU, in the deep freeze since a crackdown on the opposition following a failed military coup in 2016, is said to have spurred President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to seek out other geopolitical alliances. 

  • Any move towards BRICS membership could have significant ramifications for Ankara with regards to relations with NATO allies, most importantly the United States. As Bloomberg notes, the US has warned Turkey about the risk of firms and individuals being named on US sanctions lists related to Russia and Hamas.
  • Turkey's plans to purchase US-made F-16 fighter jets and other advanced US military tech also limit Ankara's ability to shift towards the BRICS group, which is viewed in many Western nations as a direct geopolitical and economic counter to the US-aligned G7.
  • Erdogan's attendance at the ongoing BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia could send some jitters around the NATO alliance. Stewart Patrick at the Carnegie Endowment think tank notes This is an example of Turkey showing that it has other diplomatic options and alignments...This allows Erdogan to take the mantle of a defender of emerging powers and not simply be in lockstep with the west.