STORY: Türkiye interested in BRICS to tap into economic potential
SHOOTING TIME: June 18, 2024
DATELINE: June 19, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:33
LOCATION: Ankara
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of views in Türkiye
2. SOUNDBITE (Turkish):  ALI OGUZ DIRIOZ, Associate professor of International Relations at Ankara's TOBB University of Economics and Technology

STORYLINE:

Türkiye's heightened interest in BRICS stems from its desire to be part of the growing economic potential of the bloc, which offers new opportunities for cooperation and development, analysts said.
   
During an official visit to China in early June, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed his country's pursuit of new opportunities for cooperation with different partners in platforms like BRICS. Fidan also attended the bloc's foreign ministers meeting in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod on June 10-11.
   
Experts said that it is uncertain whether Türkiye will join the bloc at the moment, but as the economic bloc continues to grow, Türkiye will want to benefit from the development opportunities it provides.
   
SOUNDBITE (Turkish):  ALI OGUZ DIRIOZ, Associate professor of International Relations at Ankara's TOBB University of Economics and Technology
"If Türkiye wants to be seen as a pivot country between the East and the West and the South and the North in economic terms, then it has to have a strong mechanism with BRICS in addition to its ties with Europe. 
The global economy is increasingly leaning towards the South Pacific region, where growth is significantly higher. 
It is a region of global attraction; therefore, Türkiye cannot be indifferent to these developments.
Türkiye wants and should want to increase its relations with countries of this region for its interests." 

On July 3-4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. As an observer state, Türkiye has shown interest in becoming a member of the group in the past decade, though this aspiration has raised eyebrows in Western capitals.

Erdogan is also expected to travel to Washington on July 9-11 to join a NATO summit celebrating the military alliance's 75th anniversary.
   
For other experts, Türkiye's good relations with both Russia and Ukraine could also play a catalyst role in its aspiration to move closer to BRICS.
   
"The possible membership of Türkiye, which has proven itself as a unique mediator in the Ukraine crisis and as a bridge between the West and East, would also contribute to BRICS," political commentator Melih Altinok, recently said in a column in Daily Sabah.
   
"A rapprochement between Türkiye and BRICS will benefit both sides," he added.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara.
(XHTV)