With President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s participation in the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, and the discussions about Türkiye’s potential membership in the group gaining attention, we spoke with one of Russia’s leading experts on Türkiye, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Kolesnikova. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Regional Studies at the Institute of International Relations and the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Moscow State Linguistic University.
Ilber Vasfi Sel: Ms. Kolesnikova, thank you for agreeing to this interview. We have some questions regarding the developments at the BRICS Summit. How do you assess Türkiye’s application for BRICS membership? There has been considerable discussion about this in Türkiye. Some view this move as a balancing act or a quest for “strategic independence” by a NATO member with close ties to the West, while others are concerned it could distance Türkiye from its Western allies. What is your perspective?
Maria Kolesnikova: The current phase in the evolution of international relations, marked by the acceleration of global processes and the emergence of new formats for integrated cooperation, is expanding the scope of Türkiye’s diplomatic activities. Framing Ankara’s foreign policy as a choice between the West and the East is misleading. In reality, Türkiye is not ideologically aligning itself with either side. Instead, it employs a broad array of “local” strategies to capitalize on opportunities wherever it can achieve a favorable balance of power.
Ankara aims to secure its long-term interests in the non-Western world through bilateral contacts and participation in influential regional structures. In this context, BRICS serves as a significant platform for Türkiye to present its initiatives and strengthen dialogue with non-Western countries. Additionally, BRICS aligns with Türkiye’s vision of a new world order, where it seeks to position itself as an independent global player, not bound to any particular power bloc, while avoiding isolation from global affairs.
At the same time, Türkiye remains economically and militarily connected to the Western bloc due to binding agreements and elements of trade and financial dependence. It is also evident that Ankara uses its association with BRICS strategically to enhance its negotiating leverage in discussions with Western partners. It is important to recognize that for Türkiye, these two foreign policy directions are not mutually exclusive; in fact, the country is deeply invested in pursuing both simultaneously. Therefore, Turkish leaders’ statements about BRICS membership do not signal an ideological quest for a “third way” but rather a pursuit of greater autonomy in foreign relations.
Another advantage of BRICS for Türkiye is the group’s flexible framework, which aligns well with Türkiye’s diplomatic style and can be adapted to suit the political climate.
Ilber Vasfi Sel: Considering these points and the recent summit, how would you assess the current state of Turkish-Russian relations?
Maria Kolesnikova: Türkiye’s flexible foreign policy approach creates a degree of uncertainty in bilateral relations, but it also allows for finding common ground. The ongoing format of leaders meeting on the sidelines of major events highlights the complexities in filling the bilateral agenda. Several issues remain unresolved, such as difficulties in banking transactions that hinder trade, increased military cooperation between Türkiye and Ukraine, and supply challenges for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. Nonetheless, we expect Moscow and Ankara to continue working toward harmonizing their positions and efforts to avoid a major crisis, as neither side has an interest in escalating tensions, as was demonstrated during the recent BRICS Summit.
Ilber Vasfi Sel: Thank you for sharing your insights and for taking the time to speak with us. Your comments provide valuable perspective on Turkish public opinion.
Our interviews will continue. Stay tuned to Harici for more updates on BRICS.
