Erdogan instructed Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, who was planning to participate in Davos, to abstain (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has instructed Turkish officials to refrain from attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, which kicks off on Monday, and lasts 5 days, Bloomberg reported. It quoted informed sources that Erdogan made this decision because of the organizers' position on the war waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip for more than 100 days, which caused the death of more than 23,60 Palestinians and the injury of more than <>,<> others.
The Turkish president instructed Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, who was planning to participate in the annual meeting of political and business leaders, to abstain, and linked President Erdogan's position to statements by Klaus Schwab, founder and CEO of the Davos Forum, in which he condemned what he called "terrorist attacks against Israel," which angered Turkish politicians.
Erdoğan and Şimşek's offices declined to comment, while the World Economic Forum has yet to respond to Bloomberg's requests for comment.
Erdogan has been vocal in his criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, defending the Islamist group Hamas as a group fighting for Palestinian rights and national liberation.
Several Turkish newspapers (including Sozcu and Shaab) reported that the Turkish finance minister had been banned from participating in the Davos forum, and did not add any comment to any government official.
The correspondent of Al Jazeera Net tried to communicate with the communication department of the Turkish Ministry of Finance, but did not receive any answer.
Historical position
In 2009, the Turkish president walked out of the forum after a heated debate with then-President Shimon Peres over Israel's military operation in Gaza the previous year, accusing Israel of killing children and carrying out crimes, and vowing not to return.
Erdogan never returned from that time, although Turkish officials came back a few years later.
The tension in relations between Turkey and Israel has been escalating recently, and the latest episode was the arrest of an Israeli football player who plays for a Turkish team for celebrating the centenary of the aggression on Gaza, which the Turkish authorities considered incitement to hatred before releasing him at a later time, with the possibility of his deportation, which sparked anger in Israel.
In a separate incident earlier this month, Turkey arrested dozens of individuals on charges of spying for Israel's Mossad, after Ankara warned of any plots to target Hamas members on Turkish soil.
As tensions continue, Erdogan's recent decision not to participate in the World Economic Forum in Davos highlights Turkey's position on Israeli aggression and its disagreement with the forum's approach to what is happening in Gaza.
Source : Al Jazeera + Bloomberg