What is the Importance of BRICS, the Transcontinental Power Transforming into a Union of Civilizations?
BRICS offers a new regional and global cooperation model based on the politics of compromise. This formation has a highly democratic system with its multinational, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-civilizational, multi-centered structure. At the same time, BRICS, which is a community of disparate countries, is a union of civilizations.
"We are moving towards a multipolar world and that is a positive thing."
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
The Birth of the Union of Civilizations: BRICS
In 2001, Jim O'Neill, a British economist at the renowned investment bank Goldman Sachs, wrote a report titled "Emerging Economies", which introduced the BRIC bloc, referring to the initials of the English names of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Later, when the Republic of South Africa joined BRIC in 2010, the group was renamed BRICS. Afterwards, the bloc started to present new political, cultural and economic visions to the world through regular meetings.
The BRICS structure, a young formation, is the name of a leaderless and non-Western organization. This structure, which has no secretariat, takes decisions by consensus. In addition, BRICS, which is chaired by the host countries for a year, is an organization that does not have an ideology and does not impose a political or economic development model. Moreover, BRICS offers a new regional and global cooperation model based on the politics of compromise. This formation has a highly democratic system with its multinational, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-civilizational, multi-centered structure. At the same time, BRICS, which is a community of disparate countries, is a union of civilizations.
BRICS with its Economic and Military Power
The BRICS countries have already surpassed the G7 countries in terms of purchasing parity. In 1995, the share of BRICS countries in the Global Gross National Product was 16.9%, while the G7 countries accounted for 44.9%. In 2023, the BRICS share was 32.1%, while the G7 share fell to 29.9%. In this process, the G7 has become the most indebted structure in the world and has turned into a consumption community. BRICS, on the other hand, has risen to the level of a production community. Their economic drive, political stability, large middle class, near-universal literacy rate, modern infrastructure, technological advances, large capital reserves, growing exports and trade surpluses, and diversified manufacturing sector have been BRICS' greatest strengths.
The BRICS cover 30% of our planet. With one-third of the world's industrial production and half of its agricultural production, the BRICS countries are the global storehouse of production and supplies. They account for 26% of global GDP, 20% of world trade, 40% of grain production and 60% of global mineral reserves. Nearly 50% of the world's foreign exchange reserves are held by these countries. One third of the 500 companies on the Fortune Global 500 list belong to BRICS countries. The contribution of these countries to the world's economic growth has reached 50%. Again, one of the factors that make BRICS important is that it provides alternatives to organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Currently, the New Development Bank (NDB), jointly established by the BRICS countries, has been operating in Shanghai since 2015. Within the framework of the decisions taken at the last BRICS Summit, the NDB will now be able to lend not only in the Chinese yuan, but also in the Indian rupee and the Brazilian real.
Today, BRICS is not only an economic actor. It is an organization with a global vision that aims to offer solutions to global and regional problems on the basis of diplomacy. Although they attach importance to diplomacy, BRICS countries are rapidly increasing their military expenditures. When we look at the defense expenditure data, 3 of the top 5 countries that spend the most are BRICS countries such as China, India and Russia. In the list of the world's most powerful armed forces published by the world-renowned military statistics site Global Fire Power, the 1st USA, 2nd Russia, 3rd China and 4th India are ranked. Especially China, India and Russia are rapidly modernizing their armies.
What is BRICS and what is not
In the 21st century, BRICS is the most comprehensive and transparent non-hierarchical non-Western organization based on equal representation in global governance. As a global organization, BRICS also hosts multilateral institutions under its roof. BRICS, which equally represents the world's oldest and most rooted non-Western nations, is a non-hegemonic structure representing more than 3 billion people in the world. This structure is not anti-US or anti-European. BRICS is anti-hegemony and anti-colonialism. It is not a power against the US and Europe. However, it is the only alternative to them. Unlike the US and EU countries in the past, the BRICS power has taken its place on the global stage without colonizing, exploiting, enslaving and genociding the world. This is why BRICS and the countries that make up this structure are seen as a reliable partner or partner.
With 22 years of history, it can be said that BRICS has accomplished important things. This special community, which has gained great respect and attention, especially in the non-Western world, has shown its footprints everywhere on the global stage. Thus, the capacity and capability of BRICS to shape global politics on the world stage has increased day by day. Because it is the BRICS countries that have laid the foundations of a non-Western development bank, pioneered de-dollarization, brought enemies to the peace table, built alternative weapons and organizations to the West, and pioneered new technologies.
To ignore the powerful potential of the ideological, political and social alternatives that BRICS' astonishing economic development brings with it is to drown in the details and lose sight of the bigger picture. In fact, their rise was not a coincidence or a fluke. These continental countries, with their wealth of savings, experience and experience, and population power, not only had great potential for the world, they also had a new vision for the world. This vision is the product of a non-Western story that does not exploit, colonize or genocide humanity. This story represents China-centered, Indian-centered, Russian-centered, Latin American-centered worlds that meet on common ground, full of harmony and harmony, multilateral, win-win. In this process, these giant countries did not challenge the West, but the West, as usual, defined them as potential enemies. Therefore, the time is coming when these rising powers will be tested in the hard and soft power arena where they have been absent from the stage for years. They will all have to prove themselves to the world again.
BRICS with growing appeal
As a result of the growing interest and the fact that the BRICS bloc includes the main powers of geopolitics and geo-economics, BRICS Plus (+) has become a hot topic. Twenty-two countries have lined up for membership in the BRICS bloc. More than 30 countries have applied for membership in the BRICS New Development Bank. This shows us that in the 21st century, all roads do not lead only to Washington, Brussels, London and Paris. Brasilia, Moscow, New Delhi, Beijing and Cape Town are the new game-changing capitals at the end of the road. On the other hand, BRICS is on a comprehensive expansion trend. It can be argued that this expansion will increase the geoeconomic influence of BRICS globally in every sense. In fact, this expansion came to the agenda at the summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 22-24, 2023. Prior to the summit, Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and Vietnam officially applied to join BRICS.
While the 15th BRICS Summit was a historic diplomatic gathering for the expansion of the union, another message of this year's summit was about Africa. "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism", the fact that the summit was held in an African country and that many African countries were invited to the summit was a tremendous demonstration of the importance that China, Russia, India and Brazil attach to Africa. At the meeting in South Africa, the five BRICS countries evaluated the applications of 22 countries to the union and decided to accept six countries as members. Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia became the new members of BRICS as of January 1, 2024. With six new member countries, BRICS now occupies a much bigger place in the global economic system. In 2024, with 11 members, BRICS will account for 47% of the world's population, 32% of the world's land area, 37% of the world economy in purchasing power parity terms, and 38% of the world's industrial production. In addition, BRICS now includes 6 of the world's 10 largest oil producers, 5 of the 10 countries with the world's largest natural gas reserves, 45 percent of world oil production, 44 percent of world oil reserves, 22 percent of global foreign investment and 25 percent of global exports. Today, BRICS Plus accounts for 38% of global industrial production, while the United States produces only 17%. As BRICS is still in its growth and development phase, it would be premature to predict its impact on global trade and politics. However, with a total population of 3.7 billion and controlling nearly 70 percent of global energy production, the 11 member countries will certainly bring about a reorganization of global trade patterns.
It is clear that the expanding BRICS is now a new driving force for the world order. In the midst of the globalization crisis, the BRICS grouping has given a new impetus to the world order and multipolarity. Founded 22 years ago with four members, the BRICS grouping has reached an important milestone by increasing its membership to 11. Despite the expectations that BRICS was over and that Brazil and India would leave BRICS just 5 years ago, BRICS is still standing firm today. Add to this Russia's special military operation against Ukraine and despite all this, 40 more countries want to join BRICS today.
The main reason for the BRICS expansion is that the BRICS entity has built up a significant economic, diplomatic, military and technological accumulation at the global level. The BRICS countries are at the forefront of intellectual change and transformation in many areas around the world. This pioneering force is on its way to building a high culture based on traditional culture and ethics outside the West. BRICS Plus is now the world's largest economic, demographic, cultural, social, social, production and energy power. In fact, with its diversity, population and multilateralism, BRICS Plus constitutes the real international community or international public opinion. In addition to this power, the transformation of BRICS into BRICS Plus is proof of a structure that has created stability and trust.
BRICS has reached the BRICS Plus level as a structure with cultural values, political goals, building institutions, creating an agenda and increasing attractiveness. The motto "Our differences are our richness" is the best summary for BRICS. After all, BRICS is an organization that has managed to bring together countries with very different problems, interests and conflicts. With this success, each of the BRICS countries has its own goal, its own model, its own vision and its own role. BRICS Plus is more cosmopolitan, more dynamic, more energetic, more attractive and richer than the G7. At the same time, BRICS does not challenge the West because it is a peaceful and constructive force that wants to reform Western institutions, not destroy them. BRICS is an international cooperation platform with an anti-conflict mission and vision driven by consensus.
BRICS Rising in the Middle East
The influence of BRICS, which is composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is increasing day by day in the Middle East. This is because 4 of the new BRICS members are Islamic countries in the Middle East. While the hegemony of the US is declining worldwide, BRICS is trying to develop a new model on the basis of cooperation with its new moves in the Middle East. Some examples of BRICS influence in the Middle East in this process can be given:
Brazil is building Saudi Arabia's first military explosives factory.
United Arab Emirates intelligence is deepening its partnership with Russian intelligence.
Israeli intelligence is strengthening its relations with Indian intelligence.
The United Arab Emirates is building a joint military base with China.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman are establishing a joint naval force led by China.
BRICS and Turkey
In addition to the growing influence and power of BRICS in the Middle East, the relations between Turkey and BRICS will also become very important in the future. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's motto, "The World is Bigger than Five," has its foundations in the BRICS. There is no reason why China, the world's production engine, India, the software and technology base, Russia, the firepower and energy storehouse, and Brazil, rich in agriculture and natural resources, should not meet in a common vision with a country like Turkey, which has the strongest army in the region and is at the top of energy and transportation channels. Turkey has the potential to be both a bridge connecting eastern and western investments and an investment center. Turkey can have the chance to increase its economic, political, military and cultural diversity through BRICS. Turkey's participation in an organization such as BRICS would be beneficial in pursuing a more effective policy both militarily and economically in regional and global problems. Therefore, cooperation with BRICS should be increased in order to expand the room for maneuver against the US and the EU.
