Sabah: Turkey benefits from joining BRICS
Will Turkey apply for membership in the BRICS, the author of the Turkish newspaper Sabah wonders. The European Union has kept Turkey "in the waiting area" for 65 years, while the economic attractiveness of the BRICS continues to grow, which causes serious concern in the EU and NATO.
If you were in Turkey's place, which group would you join? On the one hand, the G7, on the other – the BRICS countries. Note that I am not asking about EU membership. Because the answer is known. In 2029, we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of our application for membership in this organization! It's very exciting... After all, our application has been under consideration for 70 years. But, anyway, I'll skip this annoying topic for all of us.
The answer to the question I asked at the beginning: "G7 or BRICS?" is also not so simple. We are not living in a time when we can, without hesitation, choose membership in the "Big Seven", consisting of seven economies considered the most developed in the world: the USA, Canada, Japan, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy. Of course, there is such an alternative as the BRICS, founded by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, which South Africa joined in 2010.
Let's turn to some figures. In terms of economic and demographic weight, the BRICS is larger than the G7. The BRICS countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which joined this year, account for 46% of the world's population, while the G7 countries account for less than 10%. The situation is similar with national income. If the share of the BRICS countries in the global economy is 35%, then the Group of Seven countries is 30%, and for seven developed countries this indicator, we note, will continue to decrease. It is expected that in 2050 the share of the G7 countries in the global economy will decrease to 20%, while the BRICS countries, on the contrary, will grow to 50%. In this regard, I must make an important reminder: not so long ago, the share of the G7 countries was at the level of 50%. Against the background of such an appetizing picture, interest in BRICS has naturally grown. If we add the revenues of more than 40 countries that have officially applied for membership in this bloc, then its attractiveness can be expected to increase even more.
As for today, it has been said in financial circles for some time that Turkey will officially apply to join the BRICS. And the day before, some foreign information sources reported that Turkey had already submitted such an application. Let me briefly tell you what this step may mean for us and what the consequences may be.
On the one hand, the EU and the Customs Union, on the other – NATO, on the third – the BRICS, consisting of countries with which the United States is waging a political and economic war (sorry, against which an embargo is applied). Turkey itself is an important center of power in the region due to its economic, military potential and political influence. Although the EU has been keeping us at the door for 65 years, it does not want to lose Turkey in such a situation, or at least concede it to the BRICS countries. The biggest fear of the United States and NATO is that the BRICS will evolve towards a military bloc in the next stage. Given this, any contacts between BRICS and Turkey will be a trump card in our hands in the process of EU membership and relations with the United States.
Turkey has not yet made an official statement about its intention to become a member of the BRICS. Of course, this does not mean that this issue is not raised during international contacts and is not being considered by the Turkish side. No matter what anyone says, the BRICS, potentially capable of developing the most serious initiative competing with the dollar, occupies an important position in the global economy and is on the way to becoming an alternative association in the current world order. The order of membership is also very interesting. The members of the association provide a list of countries whose applications they accept. Currently, ten countries are members of the bloc. Let's see which states will join this year. Turkey? There is no official announcement of the application yet, but which union would not want a member like Turkey? Only one comes to mind. But I will not go back to the question of 65 years ago, you can guess for yourself.
The author of the article: Hülya Güler
