Türkiye's BRICS bid is response to EU membership delay

Türkiye wouldn't be searching for new alliances if it had achieved membership in the European Union, where it has held candidate status since December 1999, says the country's top diplomat, Hakan Fidan.

The statement comes amid growing anticipation that Türkiye has been seeking to join the Russia-led BRICS alliance.

"If our economic integration with the European Union had been crowned with membership, which is now (only) at the level of the Customs Union, maybe we would not be on such a search," Fidan told Anadolu Agency in a live interview on Thursday.

The foreign minister said that Türkiye acted on good intentions regarding its ambitions for full EU membership since applying to join the bloc in 1987, but accession talks have been stuck in a rut.

Now, Ankara is looking at other options.

"We see that the power matrix is constantly evolving, especially in the current world where there are approximately 200 nation-state actors," Fidan said, stressing that "every country has to form economic, security and political alliances."

"No country has the chance to handle crises in the world without forming an alliance, that is, without paying a huge price."

Founded in 2006, BRICS initially included Russia, Brazil, India, and China. South Africa joined the group in 2010. Recently, BRICS has expanded further to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE, broadening its reach across the globe.

The organisation seeks to reshape current international economic and political dynamics by offering an alternative to West-led groupings.