[Agence France Presse] BRICS+ - Türkiye Voices Frustration at last day of BRICS+ Summit Over NATO Withdrawal Fallout

Türkiye “felt sidelined” at the last day of the BRICS+ summit this Monday, stating that its commitment to the bloc had been overlooked following its earlier withdrawal from NATO. The Turkish delegation emphasized that the move was intended to signal the seriousness of its BRICS+ candidacy and encourage members to consider formally admitting Türkiye into the alliance.

Additionally, both Türkiye and Kazakhstan voiced frustration that BRICS+ members had not taken seriously their warnings about the potential shutdown of vital trade corridors, including the Bosporus Strait and the New Eurasian Land-Bridge Corridor.

However, many BRICS+ members reacted negatively to what they perceived as Türkiye's confrontational approach. In particular, Iran condemned Türkiye’s suggestion that its NATO withdrawal should pressure the bloc into accepting its BRICS+ membership, stating: “Ultimatums are never a solution. Forcing other nations into a decision by placing them in a difficult position is not the way forward.” Moreover, the Iranian delegation felt the discussion of Türkiye’s membership was inappropriate and should not be the topic at hand “this is an economics summit, and you were invited as a guest to participate.”

Türkiye pushed back against the criticism, claiming that BRICS+ members had explicitly urged its withdrawal from NATO. They argued that its membership bid was being questioned precisely because of its NATO ties. “You had concerns, and we listened,” the Turkish delegate said. Kazakhstan supported Tukriye’s pushback to Iran’s critique stating, “regardless of what we are here for today the fact that Turkey left NATO should cause some response, the fact that you did not is a shock to us.”

Not all delegates sided against Türkiye and Kazakhstan. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed sympathy, saying he was “saddened they feel left out” and pledged to visit both countries in the near future. 

In response to today’s earlier allegations of China and Russia working together on a  joint military training exercise in the Black Sea, both delegations declined to comment.