A heated debate on Gaza at the World Economic Forum turns sour, as the Turkish Prime Minister tries to respond to a fierce attack by the Israeli president.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of the Davos session, saying he may never return to the annual gathering of the rich and powerful. Israel’s President Shimon Peres had launched a fiery defence of his country’s assault on Gaza over the past month and, with a raised voice and pointed finger, questioned what Erdogan would do if rockets were fired at Istanbul every night. Even though the debate, which also included United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Arab League chief Amr Moussa, was ending, Erdogan was cut short by the moderator, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, as he tried to respond to the points raised by Peres. He then walked off the stage.President Barak Obama’s close adviser, Valerie Jarrett, was in the audience as the only administration official representing the new administration in Davos this week.NOTE: Original sound only. No reporter narration
Tags: davos, erdogan, gaza, israel, peres
