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Last update - 12:21 30/01/2009
Erdogan: My anger over Gaza directed at Israeli government, not Jews
By News Agencies and Haaretz Service
Tags: Turkey PM Erdogan, Davos 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received a hero's welcome upon his return to Istanbul on Friday, a day after storming off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, red-faced from verbally sparring with President Shimon Peres over the recent fighting in Gaza.



Upon his return to Istanbul, Erdogan told a news conference that his anger over the operation in Gaza and Peres' remarks was directed not at Jews, but at the Israeli administration.

"Our people would have expected the same reaction from any Turkish prime minister," he told a news conference at Ataturk airport on Friday morning after speaking to a cheering crowd.

"This was a matter of the esteem and prestige of my country. Hence, my reaction had to be clear. I could not have allowed anyone to poison the prestige and in particular the honor of my country," he said.
"Our reproaches are not against the Israeli people or Jews. Our reproach is totally against the Israeli administration," Erdogan said.

Thousands of people gathered at the Ataturk airport on Friday morning to greet Erdogan, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting his name. Some supporters shouted "Turkey is with you," and others held signs greeting Erdogan as "a new world leader," the BBC reported.

Meanwhile, Peres and Erdogan spoke by telephone after the debate, in which United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League leader Amr Moussa also participated. During the conversation, the two leaders agreed not to let the incident affect Turkish-Israeli relations, Israel Radio reported.

"I am very sorry for what happened and friends could sometimes have an argument between themselves," Peres told Erdogan during the telephone conversation. "I have always had a great respect for the Republic of Turkey and you as the prime minister. I consider myself as a friend of Turkey and Premier Erdogan."

"We don't want conflict with Turkey. We are in a conflict with the Palestinians," Peres told reporters at the annual gathering of businessmen and political leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

"I don't see this as a personal or national problem. The relations can remain as they are. My respect [for him] hasn't changed. It was an exchange of views and views are views," Peres said.

Peres said he hoped Turkey would continue to be a moderating force in the Middle East. "Turkey should be an answer to Iran ... they offer a choice
to the Middle East. I hope they will continue to do it," he said.

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      1.   Erdogan 12:32  |  Arie 30/01/09
      2.   Erdogan 12:35  |  Brian Hoffmann 30/01/09
      3.   Turkey--A farce 12:35  |  Ofer 30/01/09
      4.   Let Peres talk 12:40  |  Gilad 30/01/09
      5.   ERDOGAN 12:42  |  PAUL 30/01/09
      6.   HE DOESN"T NEED TO APOLOGIZE ABOUT ANYTHING 12:43  |  indrajaya 30/01/09
      7.   Shame on Mubarak and King Abdullah 12:51  |  Javad 30/01/09
      8.   This could get serious 13:02  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/01/09
      9.   the respond 13:04  |  gano 30/01/09
      10.   Telling the TRUTH hurts Turkish "honor"?! 14:50  |  Alicia 30/01/09
      11.   Sarkosi was right 14:53  |  17 30/01/09
      12.   Now, if Obama could only do this 14:56  |  W 30/01/09
      13.   Erdogan Lit the Fuse of Anti-Semitism 14:57  |  Rich 30/01/09
      14.   Erdogan: My anger over Gaza directed at Israeli government, not J 15:37  |  steve 30/01/09
      15.   truth 15:38  |  shoeki 30/01/09
      16.   Erdogan, well done. 15:39  |  Ben 30/01/09
      17.   Turkey / Syria / Iran get out of Kurdistan 17:34  |  Liliane 30/01/09
      18.   Turks in Holland were shouting "Gas the Jews" 17:37  |  Ariella 30/01/09
      19.   erdogan 17:37  |  allen 30/01/09
      20.   Keep fanatical Turkey out of EU 17:39  |  Arlette 30/01/09
      21.   if you say what you want, you will hear what you do not want.. 17:44  |  eros 30/01/09
      22.   "Honor" 17:45  |  Rina 30/01/09
      23.   Political Spin 17:47  |  Jasper 30/01/09
      24.   they are all wrong: 17:54  |  Jo 30/01/09
      25.   Edrogan__ Very Well Done. You Inadvertently Solicited The Most 17:54  |  Eli 30/01/09
      26.   Kurdish issue and Palestinian not the same 17:55  |  Ahmet 30/01/09
      27.   Turkey -the new threat to Israel 17:57  |  American 30/01/09
      28.   Erdogan: My anger over Gaza directed at Israeli government, not J 19:07  |  loyalfriend 30/01/09
      29.   let Peres talk 19:09  |  loyalfriend 30/01/09
      30.   Ahmet, the Turks butchered 1,000,000 19:11  |  Orkochav 30/01/09
      31.   Erdogan 19:15  |  loyalfriend 30/01/09
      32.   Peres-Erdogan 19:16  |  Stefano 30/01/09
      33.   Erdogan Lit the Fuse of Anti-Semitism 19:16  |  Serhan 30/01/09
      34.   Kurdish issue and Palestinian not the same 19:19  |  loyalfriend 30/01/09
      35.   Kurdish issue and Palestinian not the same 19:20  |  Ahmet Akif 30/01/09
      36.   Keep fanatical Turkey out of EU 19:22  |  Serhan 30/01/09
      37.   Tio Rina #22 20:51  |  1942 30/01/09
      38.   #6 Indrajaya 20:54  |  H 30/01/09
      39.   Erdie-Erdogan should forget about membership in EU for Turkey 21:10  |  Vittorio 30/01/09
      40.   It is your work, be proud 21:52  |  Azaroth 30/01/09
      41.   Now who can say that Erdogan was NOT right 21:55  |  Mehmet Ali. 30/01/09
      42.   Arie, YES they should do that. 21:58  |  Mustapha 30/01/09
      43.   ERDOGAN,Strong Leader,ghonest and without FEAR. 22:01  |  Omar 30/01/09
      44.   Pres. Obama should try that. ===ERDOGAN 22:05  |  Hussein. 30/01/09
      45.   Who Truly Deserves a State? The Kurds or the Palestinians? 22:06  |  Ken Jurist 30/01/09
      46.   #Serhan36. With the emergence of Russia 22:08  |  Abdul 30/01/09
      47.   I`m supporting Erdogan and Turkey 22:09  |  Ismail 30/01/09
      48.   Turkey 23:32  |  Erkan 30/01/09
      49.   munpiltive israil 23:41  |  burhan 30/01/09
      50.   JEWS!!! STOP & LISTEN!!! 23:46  |  Nuri Comez 30/01/09
      51.   Israel Should Recognize Armenian Genocide 23:46  |  Dan 30/01/09
      52.   ErdoClown is now competing with AhmadiWhacko 4 childish attention 23:57  |  Genuine Tosefta 30/01/09
      53.   To Ken Jurist 00:27  |  Fatih 31/01/09
      54.   not all the turks think like erdogan 00:37  |  mahmood 31/01/09
      55.   #6 Indrajaya 01:28  |  Conroy 31/01/09
      56.   Proud Turks 01:37  |  Steve 31/01/09
      57.   To Ofer#3: Your Analysis Is Right On the Money 01:40  |  massaraksh 31/01/09
      58.   What is this, a joke? 01:55  |  Memo 31/01/09
      59.   Blah, blah, blah (ps Kurd bashing is OK) 02:01  |  Murphyland 31/01/09
      60.   Good bye, Turkey! Why don`t you join the Arab League, instead? 02:54  |  Europe Union 31/01/09
      61.   No 48 03:11  |  martin 31/01/09
      62.   allen 03:24  |  ujell 31/01/09
      63.   Peres was right 04:11  |  BlackSTI 31/01/09
      64.   Serhan From Turkey 04:28  |  David Israel 31/01/09
      65.   Peres made minced meat out of Erdogan... 05:18  |  flyingdoc57 31/01/09
      66.   Funny the Gazans are poor and have no9 money but they 06:29  |  Big Sur 31/01/09
      67.   Armenians 07:40  |  Scotty 31/01/09
      68.   to Dav`d Israel 07:59  |  Bulent 31/01/09
      69.   Israel Should Recognize Armenian Genocide 09:59  |  loyalfirend 31/01/09
      70.   Bulent & Erdogan`s performance 10:01  |  Brad 31/01/09
      71.   To Ken Jurist 10:03  |  loyalfriend 31/01/09
      72.   Conroy 10:04  |  Brad 31/01/09
      73.   #27 : Nonsense 10:04  |  Attila 31/01/09
      74.   WHO ARE YOU? 10:08  |  CEM 31/01/09
      75.   STRONG TURKS DON T FEAR 10:15  |  AL? 31/01/09
      76.   STRONG TURKS DON T FEAR 10:16  |  AL? 31/01/09
      77.   WE ARE BROTHERS TURKS AND KURDS DON T FEAR 10:25  |  H?DO 31/01/09
      78.   Always onwards and upwards for Israel # 65 10:38  |  Clickfool 31/01/09
      79.   RESPONSE TO STEVE, #56 10:41  |  Samy 31/01/09
      80.   #27 : Nonsense 10:58  |  LoyalFriend 31/01/09
      81.   response to # 65 11:04  |  Sukru Ergin 31/01/09
      82.   Kurdish problem vs Palestinians .... 11:14  |  Alborz 31/01/09
      83.   Serhen forgets formula 11:19  |  Palestinian 31/01/09
      84.   Armenian genocide & Kurds 13:05  |  Deborah 31/01/09
      85.   to Alborz 13:06  |  yosi 31/01/09
      86.   to Ariella : Who cares about EU and lies 13:34  |  TheHun 31/01/09
      87.   How about a unified Kurdish state,Reply to #82 13:45  |  Gabriel 31/01/09
      88.   We warned you, but you din`t listen ! 13:46  |  Mete 31/01/09
      89.   ISRAEL MADE HAMAS 13:56  |  Rafael 31/01/09
      90.   ISRAEL MADE HAMAS 13:56  |  Rafael 31/01/09
      91.   Why is really Erdogan anger 13:58  |  Robin 31/01/09
      92.   David Israel from NY 14:01  |  Nuri 31/01/09
      93.   Reply to #48 TURKISH Realities 14:01  |  Gabriel 31/01/09
      94.   David Israel from NY 14:06  |  Nuri 31/01/09
      95.   To David Israel 14:13  |  Fatih 31/01/09
      96.   Israel 15:40  |  korel 31/01/09
      97.   WHO is paying for large color printed placards in "starving"Gaza? 15:43  |  PETER SM 31/01/09
      98.   To Turks (continued) 16:50  |  Alex 31/01/09
      99.   that empty chair ........ 18:22  |  flimflam 31/01/09
      100.   4; "Let Peres talk" 18:25  |  whoopsie 31/01/09
      101.   turkish 19:26  |  turk 31/01/09
      102.   to Ariella : Who cares about EU and lies - The Hun 20:01  |  loyalFriend 31/01/09
      103.   #72 Brad 21:15  |  Conroy 31/01/09
      104.   Hypocritical Turkey 21:17  |  Idom 31/01/09
      105.   #97 Who`s paying for signs? Who`s paying for 1000`s of missiles? 10:52  |  An Israeli 01/02/09
      106.   yankee doodle talk - talk, erdogan walk - walk 08:42  |  Miron 02/02/09
      107.   new threat to Israel-Turkey 22:17  |  Muhammet 02/02/09
      108.   turkey will pay his price to go antisemitic 09:25  |  yudel 03/02/09
      109.   Hi, Ariella, please talk .. 11:43  |  Gerd 03/02/09
      110.   Alborz....is it their land? They don`t have the right to come 19:37  |  Maria 27/03/09
      111.   It seems to me that Kurds are more peaceful than Palestinians! 19:40  |  Maria 27/03/09
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