China is ready to consider Turkey’s application for membership in the SCO

Almaty. November 21. Silkroadnews – China is ready together with other states members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to consider Turkey's application to become a part of the SCO.

“We are willing, together with other members of the SCO, and in accordance with the rules of its legal documents, to seriously study it (application by Turkey) on the basis of consensus consultation”, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

According to him, China “attaches great importance to Turkey’s wish to strengthen that cooperation”.

He also added, “Turkey is an important country in the Euro-Asian region”.

Earlier, when visited Pakistan and Uzbekistan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that Turkey considers membership in the SCO as a real alternative to its EU membership.

The SCO was founded in 2001 by Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The membership applications of India and Pakistan were approved in 2015.