President Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey would consider taking its ties with the China- and Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to a higher level, including “full” membership. Speaking to journalists on his return flight from Kyrgyzstan, he adds that any potential move does not mean Turkey breaks away from other blocs or from the West.
Erdogan made the remarks after attending an SCO summit in Bishkek on Tuesday. Turkey is currently an SCO “dialogue partner,” and the statements frame a possible upgrade in status rather than an immediate change. The accounts emphasize the same core points: Erdogan’s openness to deeper involvement and his clarification that it would not imply distancing from NATO or Western alignment.
Across the sources provided, the reporting does not add specific timelines, conditions, or details about what “full membership” would entail. The main difference is mainly outlet framing, with both describing the SCO summit context and Erdogan’s message that the prospect of membership is compatible with Turkey’s broader foreign policy relationships.
