Claim Of India Rejecting Turkey's BRICS Membership Bid Is Misleading

However, BOOM found this claim to be misleading. It was based on the opinion of a Turkish analyst who later clarified that his statement was misrepresented. Additionally, there are reports of the Turkish government denying the viral claim.

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This claim surfaced after the BRICS summit held in Kazan, Russia, on October 23, 2024. BRICS, originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has recently expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

Fact-check

BOOM found a report claiming that Turkey’s attempt to join BRICS failed because India rejected it, allegedly due to Turkey’s close ties with Pakistan. The report was based on an article from a German tabloid called Bild, which said that India rejected Turkey’s BRICS bid, quoting Sinan Ülgen, a Turkish foreign policy expert at the US think tank Carnegie Endowment.

BOOM found that the Bild report, originally in German was titled, “Erdogan’s BRICS dream shattered”, with the strap reading, “Insider: Failed because of India”.

The report mentions how Turkey’s application to the BRICS grouping as a full member or partner nation could have angered the western nations. The report further goes on to quote Ülgen. The report stated, “There was not even a vote, says insider Sinan Ülgen, an expert on Turkish foreign policy at the US think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.The Turkish ex-diplomat explains to Bild that India prevented the BRICS from joining. The reason: Ankara's good relations with enemy Pakistan! But because BRICS membership requires unanimity, Turkey's accession would have had no chance.”

However, BOOM found that Ülgen clarified that the report had misrepresented his statements.

“I gave an interview to Bild about BRICS but the news did not include the nuances. India is indeed distant from Turkey but there was no need to veto it. The issue was not voted on. Many other countries besides India are against rapid expansion. There is no consensus on that issue yet.” read Ülgen’s X post.

BOOM also found another article verfying Bild's misleading report. According to report, the Turkish presidency clarified that BRICS did not discuss expansion during the Kazan summit, dismissing claims that India blocked Turkey's membership as completely baseless.

Notably, Turkey and India have had disagreements, particularly over the Kashmir issue—where Turkey has called for peace between India and Pakistan through dialogue. However, there was no statement from Ülgen linking India's rejection of Turkey's BRICS membership to its relationship with Pakistan.