Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

 Russia needs to work with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at a meeting of a China- and Russia-led security bloc, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Russia advocates the establishment of the Greater Eurasian Partnership with the participation of the Eurasian Economic Union, ASEAN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, "possibly other entities". This was stated by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the summit in Bangkok of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, TASS reported.

According to Vladimir Putin, about 50 countries from Europe, Asia and Latin America are interested in cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The Foreign Relations Committee (DEİK) issued a comprehensive report on Turkey-China relations with an interesting title which goes, "The Dragon and the Crescent in the Asian Century."

This report is one of the latest links in the interest in China that has distinctly increased with the mention of Turkey's possible membership to the Shanghai Five.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is keen to see Turkey join the Russia and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). He wants this to show that Turkey is not beholden to the West. He appears unconcerned when most analysts say the SCO cannot provide the economic and military advantages Turkey's secures from its ties with the West. 

Turkey will chair the Energy Club of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2017, becoming the first non-SCO country to hold its term presidency, according to officials from the Energy Ministry. 

In a meeting on Nov. 22, a proposal from Ankara to pave the way for non-SCO member countries to assume the term presidency of the Energy Club was accepted, officials said.  

Turkey would never take steps to undermine NATO's collective defense and unity as spelled out in Article 5, the alliance's chief has said, recalling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's commitment to NATO membership amid the revival of a discussion on Turkish participation in the Russian-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization, known as the Shanghai Five. 

China is willing to consider any application from NATO-member Turkey to join a Russian and Chinese-led security bloc, the Shanghai Pact, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Nov. 21 after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said his country could join.

Is there significance in asking "If Turkey has lost its hope of becoming a member of the European Union, why should it compromise so much on Cyprus?" Put aside the awkward question of "Is Turkey a negotiating party in the Cyprus talks?"A settlement on Cyprus cannot and should not be a bargaining tool for either the EU or Turkey in their unending love-hate relationship.

Aiming to become a member of the Shanghai Pact, whose members are countries where "one-man rule" is predominant, will only cause more problems for Turkey's foreign policy, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Öztürk Yılmaz has said.