Kazakh FM: Turkey hasn't applied to join Shanghai pact

By Aliia Raimbekova

ASTANA

Turkey has not formally applied to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov said Tuesday.

"Turkey has not made a formal application. Consensus of all organization members needs to be ensured to accept a country’s membership," Idrissov told a news conference.

Idrissov said it was "important" for Turkey to show its intentions regarding the bloc.

He added that Pakistan and India are expected to be made full members at a summit next year in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which holds the SCO term presidency.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier indicated that Ankara was considering joining trade blocs besides the EU, especially the SCO.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told Russia’s Interfax news agency on Dec. 7 that Turkey was a "dialogue partner" of the SCO.

"But it is loud and clear that enhancing relations with the SCO is not an alternative to our membership in other unions," said Yildirim.

Established in 2001, the organization aims to strengthen friendly good-neighbor relations and mutual trust among member states.

*Diyar Guldogan in Ankara contributed to this report