Iran cheers Erdogan for Davos walkout

Source: Presstv.ir, 30-1-2009

Iran says the reaction shown by Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Davos was natural given his policy of condemning crimes.
"The move by Erdogan was in line with Ankara's stance of condemning the crimes of the Zionist regime ["Israel"]," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told IRIB.

In one of the most vivid moments seen at the Davos meetings, Erdogan walked off in front of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other panel members, complaining that his comments on "Israel's" war on the Gaza Strip were cut short by Washington Post's moderator, David Ignatius.
The Turkish prime minister stormed off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday after criticizing the audience -- international officials and corporate chiefs -- for applauding Isaeli President Shimon Peres' emotional defense of the 23-day "Israeli" air and ground offensive against the Gaza Strip.

More than 1,330 Palestinians, a third of them children, were killed and 5,450 others injured since "Israel" began its Operation Cast Lead against Gaza on December 27.
"During his speech, [Peres] from time to time turned and addressed directly at me in a manner and style that is not in the spirit of free discussion that we see in Davos," Erdogan told reporters in a hastily convened press conference after the incident.

He explained that Peres had been given nearly half an hour to talk while he had only been granted 12.
In his Friday interview, the Iranian minister said that Turkey was among countries which had strongly protested "Israel's" crimes in the Gaza Strip. He added that Erdogan showed a natural reaction, as "Israel's" president made an irrelevant remark about "Israel's" attack on the coastal enclave.