Turkey is unlikely to completely abandon EU membership – expert.

Yesterday, it became known that Turkey officially applied to join the BRICS group of countries. According to analyst Yevgenia Gaber from Carleton University, this step aims to demonstrate Turkey's success and to show that it is not limited to cooperation with Europe alone.

However, the expert believes that this is not a final rejection of the European Union but rather an attempt to position itself as a center of power in the new multipolar world and to create alliances outside the Western world. According to her, if there were real prospects for joining the EU, Turkey would not need participation in BRICS. Or, if the EU were clear about Turkey's membership, this application would also not be relevant.

The expert pointed out that applying to BRICS has two motives. First of all, there are no direct prohibitions for EU countries or EU membership candidates to join BRICS, so Turkey can make this decision. But it is unknown how it can simultaneously be a member of BRICS and have a customs union with the EU. The second reason is that the BRICS application gives Turkey the opportunity to demonstrate its independence and friendship with Russia and China in the absence of progress regarding European membership.

However, the expert notes, Turkey's economic ties with Russia and China are much weaker than with the EU and the USA. Therefore, the analogy with the post-Western multipolar world described by President Erdogan has no basis. It is also worth noting that the Turkish Foreign Minister is participating in a meeting of EU foreign ministers for the first Time in many years, and Turkey continues to negotiate with the EU at various levels. This indicates that Turkey does not intend to choose between the EU and BRICS but wants to consider all opportunities simultaneously and support its interests in the Euro-Atlantic space.

Source: ZN.UA