OMEN
01-29-2009, 09:45 PM
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stormed off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos after an argument with Israel's president.
Mr Erdogan clashed with Shimon Peres in a discussion on the recent fighting in the Gaza Strip, telling him: "You are killing people."
Mr Peres said Mr Erdogan would have done the same had rockets hit Istanbul.
Mr Erdogan accused the moderator of not allowing him to speak and said he did not think he would return to Davos.
He was cut off as he attempted to reply to a passionate defence of Israel's actions made by Mr Peres.
Turkey is one of the few Muslim countries to have dealings with Israel, but relations have been under strain since the Islamist-rooted AK Party was elected to power in 2002.
"I do not think I will be coming back to Davos after this because you do not let me speak," Mr Erdogan shouted before marching off the stage in front of Mr Peres, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and an elite audience of ministers and international officials.
He criticised the moderator for cutting him short on the grounds that the debate had gone over time.
Mr Peres had told the audience Israel was forced on to the offensive against Hamas by thousands of rockets and mortars fired into Israel.
"The tragedy of Gaza is not Israel, it is Hamas," the Israeli leader said. "They created a dictatorship. A very dangerous one."
More than 1,300 Palestinians and 14 Israelis were killed during the three-week conflict which began on 27 December.
BBC
Mr Erdogan clashed with Shimon Peres in a discussion on the recent fighting in the Gaza Strip, telling him: "You are killing people."
Mr Peres said Mr Erdogan would have done the same had rockets hit Istanbul.
Mr Erdogan accused the moderator of not allowing him to speak and said he did not think he would return to Davos.
He was cut off as he attempted to reply to a passionate defence of Israel's actions made by Mr Peres.
Turkey is one of the few Muslim countries to have dealings with Israel, but relations have been under strain since the Islamist-rooted AK Party was elected to power in 2002.
"I do not think I will be coming back to Davos after this because you do not let me speak," Mr Erdogan shouted before marching off the stage in front of Mr Peres, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and an elite audience of ministers and international officials.
He criticised the moderator for cutting him short on the grounds that the debate had gone over time.
Mr Peres had told the audience Israel was forced on to the offensive against Hamas by thousands of rockets and mortars fired into Israel.
"The tragedy of Gaza is not Israel, it is Hamas," the Israeli leader said. "They created a dictatorship. A very dangerous one."
More than 1,300 Palestinians and 14 Israelis were killed during the three-week conflict which began on 27 December.
BBC