Turkey wants to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies, official confirms

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A senior official has confirmed a report that Turkey wants to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies but fell short of confirming that the NATO country had formally applied for membership. The Bloomberg news agency reported Monday that Turkey had officially applied to join BRICS several month ago. In response, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party said Erdogan has stated “several times” that Turkey wants to become a member, but there was no concrete development. Erdogan, who has held power for more than two decades has sought to carve a more independent foreign policy for Turkey and to enhance its global influence.