Turkey’s bid to become the first NATO member to join the BRICS economic bloc appears to have stalled indefinitely, as geopolitical tensions—particularly with India—undermine Ankara’s prospects for full membership.
A year after formally expressing interest in joining BRICS, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s long-standing public hints have failed to materialize into actual diplomatic momentum. The recent BRICS summit in Brazil concluded without any movement on Turkey’s application, and Erdoğan notably skipped the event, sending Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in his place.
Although 10 nations, including Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Cuba, accepted “partner country” status at the summit, Turkey remained silent. Observers believe Ankara is reluctant to accept anything short of full membership—a position reminiscent of its dissatisfaction with the EU’s earlier offer of “special partnership” in place of full accession.
“Turkey is NATO,” a Brazilian diplomat told Middle East Eye. “Several countries have concerns about how that would work with the bloc.”
Among the main obstacles is India, which reportedly led opposition to Turkey’s membership due to Ankara’s growing alignment with Pakistan. This year’s deadly escalation in Kashmir further strained relations. India accused Turkey of supplying Pakistan with military aid, including over 350 drones, during the conflict. Reports even alleged that Turkish military advisors helped coordinate attacks during Pakistan’s Operation Sindoor.
India’s Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, confirmed those concerns last week: “Turkey also played an important role by providing the type of support it did; they supplied Bayraktar and numerous other drones.”
Retaliation from India followed swiftly. Turkish companies faced regulatory hurdles in India, with Celebi Airport Services denied clearances and IndiGo Airlines announcing the end of its partnership with Turkish Airlines. Meanwhile, Indian tourists and airlines began boycotting Turkish services.
Adding further insult to Turkey’s stalled ambitions, Indonesia was granted full BRICS membership in January, despite earlier assurances that expansion was on hold. The admission, explained by BRICS as a delayed 2023 decision, added to Ankara’s frustration.
With domestic sensitivities, regional entanglements, and a resurgent U.S. administration openly hostile to BRICS, Turkey’s path to full membership is now effectively blocked. As one Western diplomat put it, “Ankara overplayed its hand—too NATO for BRICS, and too eastward for the West.”
