Statue should make a one-way trip back to France, Turkish PM says on Senegal visit

ISTANBUL

Photo taken from Hürriyet website

According to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Senegal should send a monument depicting the final moments of a Senegalese slave’s life back to France.

During a visit today to Goree Island, the main destination for slave trading in history, the prime minister voiced his opinion on a statue originally sent from France.
 
Erdoğan was visiting Goree as part of his tour of Africa when he was shown the statue. Upon seeing the figures Erdoğan stated simply that they should be sent back, but failed to elaborate on why.
 
“This statue should in fact be sent back to France,” Erdoğan said.
 
Erdoğan started his African tour Jan. 6 in Gabon. Turkey will sign several bilateral agreements with the three African countries during Erdoğan’s tour, which is designed to provide concrete steps to further develop Turkey’s relations with the continent.