Turkey Offered “Partner-Country” Status by BRICS, Short of Full Membership

Turkey has been offered “partner-country” status by the BRICS group of emerging-market powers, falling short of its aspiration for full membership, Bloomberg reports, citing Trade Minister Omer Bolat.

The move comes after Turkey formally applied to join the bloc earlier this year, seeking to strengthen its global influence and diversify its alliances amid a shifting geopolitical landscape.

“They’ve offered partner-country status to Turkey,” Bolat told TVNet on Wednesday. “This is a transition period in the organizational process of BRICS.”

The BRICS bloc, which currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded earlier this year to include Iran, the UAE, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Unlike Turkey, these new members were granted full membership without any transitional phase.

Turkey, a NATO member, has been increasingly looking beyond its Western allies to secure its national interests, viewing the BRICS as a potential platform for greater global influence. Bolat highlighted the bloc’s “emergence as a center of resistance against the West’s desire to rule the world in a hegemonic way.”

Speculation arose that India, due to its close ties with Pakistan, might have opposed Turkey’s full membership. However, Bolat dismissed these claims, stating that BRICS has offered partner-country status to several other countries. A final decision on their membership will be made at a later stage.