By IINA,
Istanbul : Thousands of jubilant Turks accorded a hero’s welcome to their Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday upon his return to Istanbul from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos after his public spat with Israeli President Shimon Peres over Israel’s Gaza offensive. Erdogan angrily left a debate at the WEF in Switzerland on Thursday after telling Peres, “You killed people.” Erdogan and Peres raised their voices and traded accusation, Today’s Zaman reported. Approximately 5,000 people gathered at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport around 2 a.m. yesterday to greet Erdogan when he returned from the gathering of business and political leaders, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting “Turkey is proud of you.” Other banners said “Delegate of the oppressed” and “Let the world see a true prime minister.”
Turkish TV stations broadcast the prime minister’s arrival and the crowd waiting for him. CNN Turk said extra buses were added to routes so more people could turn out to welcome him. “Our people would have expected the same reaction from any Turkish prime minister,” Erdogan said at a press conference at the airport on Friday morning after speaking to the crowd. “I did what I had to do,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters at the airport. “I cannot remain apathetic when it comes to these things, it’s just not in my nature. I am duty-bound to defend the honor of my country.” Erdogan said he was not “at heart a diplomat but a politician.”
During the Davos panel debate, President Shimon Peres had launched a fiery defense of his country’s offensive in 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. Erdogan, visibly angry, responded as he sat next to Peres at the debate, which also included United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League chief Amr Moussa: “President Peres you are older than me and your voice is very loud,” Erdogan said. “The reason for you raising your voice is the psychology of guilt. I will not raise my voice that much, you should know that. When it comes to killing you know very well how to kill. I know very well how you hit and killed children on the beaches.” He then walked out of the room.
The Turkish public continued its passionate support of Erdogan following Friday prayers in Istanbul. Prime Minister Erdogan was hailed with slogans of praise by thousands of people who were in and around the Büyük Piyalepaşa Mosque. The crowd waited for the prime minister to complete his prayers at noon and when Erdogan came out of the mosque, they shouted “Turkey is proud of you.” Erdogan also won praise from Gazans. In the Gazan refugee camp of Jebaliya, Turkish flags now decorate the ruins of a local mosque that was destroyed during Israel’s war against Gaza’s Hamas government. A preacher told worshippers at an outdoor service on Friday that Erdogan had “raised the head of the Islamic nation.” Jalal Bin Yousef al-Sharifi called on other Muslim leaders to do the same.
Later on Friday, a smaller crowd of about 1,500 people applauded Erdogan as he inaugurated a subway station in Istanbul. They also chanted “Turkey is proud of you.”
There has been a feeling among Arabs and those in the Middle East that someone needs to speak out in this way against Israel. Erdogan did this,” Fuat Keyman, an international relations professor at Koç University, said in comments on NTV. Turkey harshly criticized Israel over its Gaza offensive in which Israeli forces killed more than 1,300 Palestinians. Israel lost 11 soldiers and three civilians. Erdogan’s stance shocked Israel and has been interpreted by some as an attempt to increase his support ahead of local elections in March with an electorate deeply sympathetc to the Palestinians.