MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will carefully consider Turkey's application for membership in the alliance as soon as it is received, but Ankara has to meet a number of criteria to join the organization, Russia's Special Presidential Envoy for SCO Affairs Bakhtiyer Khakimov told Sputnik on Tuesday.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara's goal was SCO membership.
"If the application is received, then it will be carefully considered. There is no application at the moment," the Russian diplomat said, adding that Turkey had long participated in the work of the SCO as a dialogue partner and has been involved in the organization's competitive practical events.
According to Khakimov, Ankara must meet a number of criteria for joining the SCO, among them active maintenance of diplomatic, economic relations and cultural ties with the SCO member states, the absence of external conflicts and UN Security Council sanctions, as well as non-participation in activities and blocs, which are hostile to SCO member states.
The diplomat added that Turkey was a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which "declared Russia not just an enemy, but enemy number one."
The latest SCO summit was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from September 15-16. As a result of the summit, 44 documents were signed. In particular, Iran signed a memorandum of obligations with the SCO, paving the way for the country to join the organization. A document was also signed on the beginning of the procedure for admitting Belarus to the alliance.
