Turkey has officially requested to join BRICS due to its dissatisfaction with the progress of membership in the European Union, Bloomberg reported.

The view of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration is that the geopolitical center of gravity is shifting away from developed economies, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to comment.

The country’s new diplomatic push reflects its aspirations to cultivate ties with all sides in a multipolar world, while still fulfilling its obligations as a key member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, they said.

The media sources added that Turkey made the request to join BRICS several months ago, amid frustration over the lack of progress in its decades-long bid to join the European Union.