Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of a debate on Gaza at the World Economic Forum Thursday, saying he will never return to the annual meeting.
Mr. Erdogan stunned the audience in Davos, Switzerland, when he tried to respond to Israeli President Minister Shimon Peres, who defended Israel's tough response to Hamas rockets.
The moderator cut off Mr. Erdogan when he told Mr. Peres that he kills children on beaches.
The Turkish prime minister later complained that he was given just 12 minutes to speak while the Israeli president was given nearly half an hour. He said his frustration was aimed at the moderator and not at Jews or the Israeli people.
Political issues are part of the discussions in Davos, where delegates from 96 countries are meeting to find ways to stabilize the global economy.
Earlier, the head of the OPEC oil cartel said its members are ready to make further cuts in oil production if prices do not rise.
Prices have been hovering around $40 a barrel. But OPEC chief Abdalla Salem El-Badri said even $50 a barrel is too low for oil producers to invest in keeping up with world demand.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday blamed the global economic crisis on what he called high consumption and the blind pursuit of profit by some countries. He warned against trade barriers and isolationism in trying to solve the world's economic problems.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters
