Earlier this week it was reported that Turkey has officially applied for membership to the BRICS group nations, becoming the first member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) to do so (i24 News). According to Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs aide, Turkey has submitted an application “for full membership” and its application will be considered (Associated Press).
The BRICS alliance was founded in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010, with Communist China and Russia spearheading the effort. BRICS was formed to counter the global economic influence of the United States and its western allies. “Its founding members have called for a fairer world order and the reform of international institutions like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank” (Associated Press).
As of January 1, 2024, BRICS added the following members to its bloc: Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. The combined total population of the BRICS countries equals 3.25 billion while its combined GDP is 25.83 trillion USD (Statista). And when it comes to military strength rankings, the BRICS bloc scores high marks: Russia (2), China (3), India (4), Brazil (12), Iran (14), and Egypt (15) (Global Fire Power.com).
So, why would Turkey, a member of NATO since 1952, want to join the BRICS alliance?
In 1999, Turkey became a candidate to join the European Union (EU). In 2005, Turkey began talks to become a member of the EU but the “negotiations have stalled due to concerns over democratic regression under Erdogan’s administration, and ongoing disputes with Cyprus, an EU member” (Associated Press). As a result, Turkey is now looking for an alternative to strengthen its struggling economy, and Erdogan’s administration “sees the economic epicenter of the globe shifting away from the West” (i24 News).
According to Erdogan, “Turkey can become a strong, prosperous, prestigious and effective country if it improves its relations with the East and the West simultaneously. . . . Any method other than this will not benefit Turkey, but will harm it” (i24 News).
Erdogan has a history of playing both sides of the global fence so that he may lead Turkey towards his ultimate goal, the resurrection of the Ottoman Empire (TIME). For example, after Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Turkey refused to support the sanctions from the U.S. and its allies against Russia and it never closed its airspace to Russian aircraft (Blessors of Israel). The Biden administration attempted to woo Erdogan back into the fold by approving a $23 billion sale of 40 new F-16 fighter jets along with upgrades to 79 current jets in Turkey’s fleet but Erdogan remained committed to standing with Russia (BBC). By the way, Turkey has NATO’s second largest army, one that is ranked 8 globally on the military strength index (Global Fire Power.com).
And when it comes to Israel, Erdogan aligns with the BRICS bloc more than the U.S. and NATO. As I have noted during the Blessors of Israel Podcast and in print, Erdogan is a friend of Hamas and no friend of Israel. Let’s look at some of the comments made by Erdogan since Israel was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 for confirmation.
- “Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a liberation group, mujahideen waging a battle to protect its lands and people.” (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 25, 2023)
- “Israel, we will proclaim you as a war criminal to the world. . . We are making our preparations, and we will declare Israel to the world as a war criminal.” (Associated Press, October 28, 2023)
- “Israel is an occupier. . . The main culprit behind the massacre unfolding in Gaza is the West.” (Al Jazeera, October 28, 2023)
- “Once all of this that is happening is finished, we want to see Gaza as a peaceful region that is a part of an independent Palestinian state, in line with 1967 borders, with territorial integrity, and with East Jerusalem as its capital.” (Reuters, November 4, 2023)
- “With the savagery of bombing the civilians it forced out of their homes while they are relocating, it is literally employing state terrorism. I am now saying, with my heart at ease, that Israel is a terror state. We will never shy away from voicing the truth about Hamas members protecting their lands, honor, and lives in the face of occupation policies are resistance fighters, just because some people are uncomfortable with it.” (Foundation for Defense of Democracies, November 15, 2023)
- “Beyond being a war criminal, Netanyahu, who is the butcher of Gaza right now, will be tried as the butcher of Gaza. . .” (Reuters, December 4, 2023)
- “They used to speak ill of Hitler. What difference do you have from Hitler? They are going to make us miss Hitler. Is what this Netanyahu is doing any less than what Hitler did? It is not. He is richer than Hitler, he gets the support from the West. All sorts of support comes from the United States. And what did they do with all this support? They killed more than 20,000 Gazans.” (Al Jazeera, December 27, 2023)
- “The world is watching the barbarity of. . . a psychopath, a vampire who feeds on blood called Netanyahu” (JNS, May 29, 2024).
And Erdogan has actively resisted NATO’s attempts to cooperate with Israel. On July 11, 2024, Erdogan said, “Until comprehensive, sustainable peace is established in Palestine, attempts at cooperation with Israel within NATO will not be approved by Turkey” (Ynet News).
Then on August 7, 2024, Reuters reported that Turkey “filed its official request to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel over its conduct in the war in Gaza in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague.”
A week later, Erdogan told visiting Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman, that Turkey will continue to support the “Palestinian cause” and push the international community to increase pressure on Israel (Israel National News).
When you put the pieces of the puzzle together, the picture is clear, Erdogan is more closely aligned with the BRICS bloc (especially China, Russia, Iran, South Africa, and Brazil) than the U.S. and NATO.
These developments are important for us to keep in mind as we pray for Israel because Turkey will eventually join forces with Russia and Iran to attack Israel in a significant event that will precede the Great Tribulation.
As I have shared before, the Battle of Gog and Magog will precede the Great Tribulation according to Ezekiel 38-39. During the Battle of Gog and Magog, there will be an alliance of nations against Israel which will be led by the leader of Russia, “Gog, prince of Rosh” (Ezek. 38:4). “Persia,” modern-day Iran, and “Beth-togarmah,” modern-day Turkey will be part of that alliance (Ezek. 38:5-6). They will attack Israel “in the latter years” (Ezek. 38:8) after they “devise an evil plan” against Israel. The Scripture reveals that Israel will be attacked by an overwhelming force that will “come like a storm. . . like a cloud covering the land” (Ezek. 38:9-10).
In the midst of this great opposition, God will come to Israel’s rescue and pour out His “blazing wrath” upon her foes in order to deliver Israel from certain destruction through a series of cataclysmic judgments (Ezek. 38:18-23). First, God will send a “great earthquake in the land of Israel. . . and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My [God’s] presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground.” Second, the invading armies will turn on each other because God will “call for a sword against him on all My [God’s] mountains. . . Every man’s sword will be against his brother.” Third, God will send a deadly “pestilence” upon Israel’s enemies and “with blood I [God] will enter into judgment with him.” Finally, God will rain down upon the invading armies “a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone.”
God’s judgment against Israel’s enemies will be so severe that it will take Israel seven months to bury their enemies and seven years to gather and destroy their weapons (Ezek. 39:9-16). This divine deliverance will be in keeping with God’s promise to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3).
These developments between the Turkey, Russia, and Iran are setting the stage for the events prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel 2,600 years ago. And through it all, God will reveal Himself to Israel and the many nations so that they will know that He is the Lord (Ezek. 38:23).
Please join me in praying for the peace of Israel and her people.
Dr. Matthew Dodd, Executive Director
September 6, 2024