"The economy of Turkey is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, despite the political events of the recent years and its geographical proximity to hot spots in the Middle East," says analyst Vladimir Rojankovski from the International Financial Center.In terms of GDP, Turkey ranks 17th in the world, Rojankovski notes. In terms of GDP, adjusted for PPP (purchasing power parity of citizens), it is 13th. This means that from the economic point of view Turkey is on par with all BRICS countries and is well ahead of South Africa.
"Turkey is a secular state with a predominantly Muslim population, it stands out favorably against other religious Islamic countries and monarchies in the region. Turkey's accession to the bloc of countries with the Russia-China vector is a serious shock for Europe and the United States," the analyst added.
Turkey's desire to join BRICS was announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. "We are in the G20 with five of those countries. I wish they would take the necessary steps to let us in and we could take our place in BRICS," Erdogan told Hurriyet on the sidelines of the BRICS Forum in South Africa.
Comment: See also: New World Order: Erdogan wants BRICS to let Turkey in