MOSCOW (AP) — NATO member Turkey has applied for membership in the BRICS bloc of developing economies, a senior Kremlin official said Wednesday, as Russia and China seek to counter the West's global influence. Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs aide, told reporters that Turkey has submitted an application “for full membership” in the bloc that Russia this year chairs, and it will be considered. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated several times that his country aspires to become a member of the BRICS alliance, according to Omer Celik, a spokesman for Erdogan's ruling party.