Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country will continue to build a common future with its African friends and thus upset the colonialists.
This came in a speech he delivered to the Turkish people on Monday after presiding over a government meeting at the Presidential Complex in the capital, Ankara.
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He continued, “Of course, every step Turkey takes in Africa upsets the former colonizers, who see the continent as their back garden, and this is one of the reasons for the campaigns carried out by the West against our country.”
Erdogan made it clear that his African tour, which he conducted last week, which included Angola, Togo, and Nigeria, was fruitful and constructive.
He added that he had received an official and popular welcome in the African countries he visited, and the bilateral meetings he held and the delegations’ meetings were successful and fruitful.
He continued, “After we came to power in 2002, we made double efforts to strengthen our relations with the countries of the African continent.
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And we have worked to increase our diplomatic missions across the continent, as well as our economic relations.”
Erdogan stressed that the African continent will become more important during the 21st century, and Turkey’s view of the continent is different from that of the West.
And he added, “Turkey’s history is free of massacres and colonialism, so the peoples of the African continent look at us differently from others, and we deal with the countries of the continent on the basis of respect, trust, and mutual profit.”
He explained that Turkey seeks to establish strong friendship ties with the countries of the African continent through its civil institutions and organizations such as the Red Crescent.
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And the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination, TIKA, and the Presidency of the Affairs of Turks of Diaspora and Relatives.
He pointed out that Turkey does not view the African continent as a market for selling products, but rather as a partner and friend.
He pointed out that his last tour to the three African countries culminated in the signing of 18 agreements and memoranda of understanding in the fields of economy and culture.
