Israel apologetic at Davos 09 over Gaza

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey, left, speaks just before he leaves the stage in front of Shimon Peres, President of Israel, right, during a plenary session on Middle East peace at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"When it comes to killing, you know very well how to kill," Erdogan told Peres, wagging his finger. "I know very well how you hit and killed children on beaches."

Israeli President Shimon Peres launched a lengthy and fiery defense of his country's assault on Gaza over the past month. Mr. Peres gave all the examples from Turkey and raised his voice pointing his finger Turkish prime Minister Erdogan. Mr. Peres tried to accuse and question Turkey and Turkish PM by asking what Erdogan would do if rockets were fired at Istanbul every night. The debate with Erdogan and Peres was also attended by UN secretary Ban Ki-moon, who issued an emergency appeal for the raising of 613 million U.S. dollars to help the Palestinian population after the attack on Gaza. The fundraising is intended to resolve the emergency situation of water, food, and medical supplies for the next 6-9 months.

More than 5,000 people greeted Turkish prime minister Erdogan upon his return to Turkey this morning, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags. Erdogan was returning from Davos, from the World Economic Forum, where he walked away from a televised debate with Israeli president Shimon Peres, about the war in Gaza. The Turkish prime minister left the program after the moderator of the debate gave him only one minute to reply to a long and impassioned statement by Peres in defense of the Israeli offensive.

Erdogan said: "I find it very sad that people applaud what you said. There have been many people killed. And I think that it is very wrong and it is not humanitarian." He then left the set, vowing that he would not return to Davos.

In Istanbul, the crowds acclaimed Erdogan with banners thanking him and hailing him as a new "world leader." The prime minister tried to downplay his stance, directing his protest at the moderator who did not give him enough time. But his words against the Israeli policy in Gaza remain.

"My reaction was directed at the moderator. I think that if we have moderation in this way, we won't really get out of Davos what we all come here to get out of Davos, and it would cast a shadow over efforts to reach peace," he told reporters at the meeting.

"President Peres was speaking to the Prime Minister of Turkey – I am not just some leader of some group or tribe, so he should have addressed me accordingly.

Each of the four speakers in the debate on the Middle East was to have delivered a five-minute speech. Mr Ban, the UN Secretary-General, spoke for eight minutes and Mr Erdogan for 12.

Mr Ignatius intervened to silence the head of the Arab League after 12 minutes, but Mr Peres then spoke uninterrupted for 25 minutes, raising his voice, pointing fingers and challenging the other panellists over what they would do in Israel's position.