Erdogan justifies Turkey's plans to join BRICS
Turkey's intention to join the BRICS does not mean that it will give up its membership in the North Atlantic Alliance. These structures are not an alternative to each other.
This was stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, RBC-Ukraine reports citing Hurriyet.
According to the Turkish leader, his country “cannot deny the fact” of ties with continental Europe and the United States, and the same ties with Central Asia, Russia, the Baltic region, or the Far East. At the same time, Turkey has a “deep history” of relations with the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf and close relations with Africa.
Erdogan added that Turkey's geography and millennial history “encourage it to build such a diverse partnership architecture.”
“Just because we are a NATO country, we cannot sever our ties with the Turkic and Islamic world. The BRICS and ASEAN are structures that provide us with opportunities for economic cooperation. Participation in these organizations does not mean abandoning NATO. We do not believe that these alliances and cooperations are an alternative to each other,” the President said.
He also added that Turkey is allegedly being urged not to join the BRICS or any other structure by those who “made it wait at the door of the European Union.”
Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 27/09/2024
