'Turkey rejects orientalist approaches towards African continent'

By Rabia Iclal Turan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing the General Assembly of Angola's Parliament on Monday, stressed that his country rejects 'West-centered orientalist approaches' towards the African continent.

"We embrace the peoples of the African continent without any discrimination," Erdogan noted, saying: "There are some who still cannot accept African people’s achievements of independence, freedom, and equality."

Stressing "injustices in the global system," Erdogan once again underlined that "The World is Bigger Than Five," and added: "Fate of humanity should not be left to the mercy of a handful of countries that won World War II."

"While the world and almost every aspect of our life are changing, and diplomacy, trade, and international relations are going through radical transformations, we cannot think that the global security architecture will remain the same," he added.

Erdogan on Sunday arrived in Angola, the first destination of his four-day tour of Africa, and will later travel to Nigeria and Togo.

The trip is significant as Turkey will host two important events in Istanbul: a two-day Turkey-Africa 3rd Economy and Business Summit on Oct. 21, and a two-day Turkey-Africa 3rd Partnership Summit on Dec. 17.