Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey's possible participation in the BRICS and ASEAN groups of countries is not an alternative to its membership in NATO, but, on the contrary, provides opportunities for economic cooperation, Turkish TV channel NTV reported.

Turkey, a NATO member, has in recent months expressed interest in joining the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) groups, which include China and Russia. It is also seeking to deepen ties with the ASEAN group of Southeast Asian nations.

Speaking to Turkish reporters in New York before leaving the UN General Assembly, Erdogan said Turkey, which is also a candidate for European Union membership, cannot determine its future based on its stalled EU membership bid and must deepen its relations with all entities and regions.

“BRICS and ASEAN are structures that we believe offer special opportunities to improve our economic cooperation. Participation in these structures does not mean abandoning NATO. We do not see this alliance and cooperation as an alternative to each other,” he said.