Hamas backs Erdogan over Davos walkout

(AKI) - Gaza's ruling Islamist group Hamas on Friday praised the Turkish prime minister's walkout from the Davos economic summit in protest at Israeli president Shimon Peres' defence of the recent Gaza offensive.

"Erdogan defended the cause of Gaza and all the victims of the Zionist war - especially women and children - in front of leaders attending the Davos forum and the head of the Zionist evil, Peres," Hamas said in a statement posted to its website.

Hamas hailed Erdogan's decision to abandon the Davos meeting as "victory for the victims of Gaza's al-Fakhura school and the thousands of people killed and injured in the Zionist massacre."

An Israeli aistrike on the United Nations run al-Fakhura school in northern Gaza on 6 January killed 40 people. Over 1,330 Palestinians died and more than 5,400 were injured in Israel's three week long offensive.

Israel - "the Zionist enemy" - would continue to commit crimes against Palestinians and to exploit international meetings such as Davos to downplay these, Hamas said.

Erdogan angrily left the forum when he was denied the chance to respond to remarks by Peres questioning what he would do if rockets were fired at Istanbul every night.

Erdogan, who accused Israel "knowing very well how to kill" was greeted by thousands of cheering people at the airport in Istanbul when he returned.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered in the streets of the West Bank after Friday prayers to show their support for Erdogan, responding to a call from Hamas, reported the Palestine-Information Centre website, which is said to be close to the hardline group.

Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad's spokesman Dahoud Shehab was quoted on Friday by Palestinian news agency Maan as thanking Erdogan for his staunch support for the Palestinian cause. "We wish Arab countries would do the same thing and react in a similar way to Turkey," Shehab said, quoted by Maan.
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