PM Erdogan slams western colonialism in Senegal

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the last stop of his five-day, three-nation Africa tour, on Thursday visited Goree, a tiny island off Dakar, Senegal, that came to be known as a "slave depot" because of its role as a centre for the slave trade from Africa to the West from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Erdogan, who had already visited Gabon and Niger as part of his tour, toured the island's House of Slaves, a building used as a facility to keep Africans before they were sent on ships to America as slaves. "I hope that this place, which is one of the most important manifestations of the tragedy that Africans suffered, will be a basis of reflection for a brighter future," Erdogan wrote in a memorial book. "Turkey sincerely supports the awakening and rise of Africa, including that of Senegal. Long live the Turkish-Senegalese friendship," he further wrote. Erdogan slammed Western colonialism in his speeches throughout the visit and said that Turkey, unlike others, sees friends and brothers, not diamonds and gold, when it looks at Africa. The Prime Minister was accompanied by a delegation of about 300 businessmen during his tour, seen as part of his government's attempts to boost trade with Africa and increase Turkish influence there. Addressing the business forum, Erdogan said the current annual trade volume between Turkey and Senegal, which stands at $130 million, was insufficient, noting that the two countries could undertake joint ventures in the construction and defence industries. He told the businessmen attending the gathering that the trade volume should be increased to $250 million.