Turkey hails PM as 'Conquerer of Davos' after walkout

[Joanne98]

Source: Timesonline


Turkey’s Prime Minister returned home to a hero's welcome this morning after storming off stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos during a heated spat over Israel’s assault on Gaza.

In the most dramatic moment of this year's muted Davos conference, Recep Tayyip Erdogan walked off a panel discussion including Shimon Peres and Ban Ki-Moon after a moderator cut off his reply to a long and impassioned monologue by the Israeli President.

Mr Erdogan gathered up his belongings and marched off stage, red-faced, shouting that he would not return to Davos again as he had not been allowed to speak.

Around 3,000 supporters gathered at Istanbul's airport in the early morning, waving red and white Turkish flags and banners reading "Conqueror of Davos" as Mr Erdogan's flight back from Davos landed.



Read more: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/wef/article5617169.ece

[Dover]

1. Israel better be nice to Turkey, seeing how there's a big pipeline deal in the works.

Israel needs their water, and their position as an important terminal for oil/gas.
Wouldn't want for them to turn to Iran or elsewhere...


India, Turkey and Israel to discuss pipeline

Plan comes after long-planned pipeline that would have linked India to Iran via Pakistan fails to materialize

Associated Press Published: 11.25.08, 08:50 / Israel Money

A plan to pipe oil and gas from Turkey to Israel and then ship it to India will be discussed when officials from the three countries meet soon, media reports said Tuesday.

The proposal would allow India easier access to energy supplies from Central Asia and the Caspian region, the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying.

Erdogan was speaking Monday during a meeting with business leaders in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.

The proposed route comes after a long-planned pipeline that would have linked India to Iran through Pakistan failed to materialize, held up by disagreements over costs, Indian fears about the pipeline's security, and strong US opposition.

Turkey has positioned itself as a regional energy hub for routes bypassing Iran...cont'd

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3628160,00.html

[Prometheus Bound]

2. Good for him. Moderator/WP propagandist David Ignatius' behavior was unacceptable.

Trying to physically restrain a Prime Minister by putting his hand on his shoulder. Who does that asshole think he is! He certainly wouldn't do that to a US, British or Israeli PM/President.

Send him back to the Washington Post to continue to promote his propaganda. He has no place on the world stage. No class.

Edit to add video link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/davos/7859417.stm

[HamdenRice]

3. What on earth was Peres saying? Isn't he the single most moderate Israeli politician? nt

[Prometheus Bound]

4. As I understand it, it was Ignatius who upset him, not Perez.

Ignatius gave Perez 25 mins and cut off the Turkish PM at 12 mins.

Perez gave the usual defense of the war - Hamas started it with the rockets and Israel was just defending itself, which he insisted Turkey would do in the same circumstances.

I read somewhere that Perez and Edrogan spoke by phone later and made up.

[bdamomma]

6. yea, I caught the exchange between the Edrogan and Ignatius

and Edrogan said he would not be back, and just left the stage.

[bdamomma]

5. defending all the killing in Gaza.

it was on C Span last nite.