Turkey Applies To Join BRICS, NATO, Also Your Local Book Club

It appears that Ankara, in its tireless pursuit of, well, *everything*, has formally thrown its hat into the BRICS ring. One might imagine the official application included a hastily scribbled note, perhaps a wistful "Are we there yet?" appended to the bottom. Having apparently mastered the delicate art of being a crucial, if occasionally perplexing, member of NATO, Turkey now seeks to expand its "global influence" by collecting alliances like Pokémon cards.

Presumably, this strategic maneuver involves simultaneously attending high-level security summits in Brussels while also participating in economic discussions with a group ostensibly founded as a counterweight to the Western-dominated order. It's a geopolitical flex of Olympic proportions, a diplomatic splitscreen for the ages. One can only assume the nation's foreign policy whiteboard now features a 'Pros' column for 'more dinner invitations' and a 'Cons' column for 'potential ideological whiplash, perhaps?' Truly, a nation committed to not missing out on *any* party.