Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that his country is seeking membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, stressing that this step would move Turkey's relations with these countries to a different position.
Erdogan was speaking to reporters after attending the organization's summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday and Friday, before heading to the United States.
It is worth noting that Turkey is currently a partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
During the OIC summit, Erdogan held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said that Turkey and Russia had reached an agreement to resolve the dispute over a nuclear power plant being built in Akkuyu (southern Turkey), explaining that its first units would be opened next year.
Erdogan praised the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, saying that it has made important strides in the fields of security, economy and trade since its establishment, and continued its expansion in this framework. An estimated population of 3.2 billion, and an economic size of $20 trillion.
According to what Erdogan told reporters, the organization started with 5 members in the first stages of its establishment, then the number of its members increased to 9, with 3 observer members, and 9 countries as a hub partner, including Turkey.