Press conference with Anton Kobyakov: First tangible results – A clear message to Turkey

On October 23 at 4 p.m., presidential aide Anton Kobyakov addressed the press in Kazan. A summary of the most important statements.

Peter Hänseler / René Zittlau

Anton Kobyakov began by saying that the West’s interest in this summit was extremely high. This was reflected not in Western media coverage, but in unprecedented cyber attacks on the event’s servers. These attacks were expected and were technically contained. There were no negative consequences for the participants.

The West is losing influence in the Global South and this will lead to the West being isolated, not countries like Russia.

BRICS is the engine of a multipolar world that is looking for a fair, effective alternative to the West’s rules-based order and is not anti-West. The West is against the rest of the world and the fragmentation of the world is not caused by BRICS, it is caused by the West.

Delegations from 42 countries and 23 heads of state are attending this year’s summit.

The rest of Kobyakov’s remarks are almost identical to what we have reported in this blog.

It is important to note that Anton Kobyakov did not make his statements from a Russian point of view. His statements should be understood as an assessment of the BRICS as a community.

A clear message to Turkey

Much has been said about Turkey’s possible membership of the BRICS, and the fact that President Erdogan travelled to this summit led many to voice their support for a possible accession in Kazan.

Kobyakov’s comments on Turkey were surprisingly clear and left nothing to be desired. When asked about Turkey’s membership, Kobyakov replied literally:

“Turkey wants a lot of things. It wants to join the EU, it wants to join BRICS. I would suggest that Turkey join the EAEU [Eurasian Economic Union]. This is a good path. This is the path that Russia and Belarus have taken, forming a union state – that would be honest. The leaders of BRICS will make a decision.

It seems to me that joining this “common choir”, our community, requires more coordination. Each country within BRICS has a certain specialization. On this basis, Turkey would certainly have a place, provided that it does not play the card of the Ottoman Empire, on which, for example, the city of Kazan also appears.”

President Erdogan will not be pleased with these statements. We have already reported on Turkey’s strategy regarding BRICS in our article “BRICS – Facts and Figures” and described Erdogan as a merciless negotiator who tries to play off all sides.

You can’t dance at all weddings (EU, NATO, BRICS), simultaneously act as the ruler of the Ottoman Empire as it is being rebuilt, and publish maps showing not only parts but entire BRICS states as part of this new empire, including Tatarstan.

Turkey will probably remain on the waiting list for the time being and was sent home with friendly but firm words to do its homework.