Turkey Set to Boycott Davos For Second Year Over War in Gaza
(Bloomberg) -- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will extend the country’s Gaza war-related boycott of the World Economic Forum in Davos for another year, with top economic officials set to skip this month’s gathering.
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Neither Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek nor central bank Governor Fatih Karahan are expected to attend the event in the absence of a change in Erdogan’s stance, according to Turkish officials, who requested anonymity as the plans aren’t public. The summit is scheduled to start on Jan. 20.
The Turkish Presidency and Finance Ministry declined to comment.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza, the events in Syria as well as the overall geopolitical and security picture in the region will be high on the agenda” in Davos, a spokesman for the WEF said in an emailed response to questions, without mentioning Turkey. “In this context, we expect to welcome number of key Arab government leaders.”
Finance ministers and central bank governors typically attend the event in Switzerland to attract investment and explain their policies to foreign bankers. Simsek and Karahan travel regularly to places such as New York and London for that reason.
Last year Erdogan, a critic of Israel’s war against Hamas, told his government to skip the forum after WEF founder Klaus Schwab condemned the Palestinian militant group’s October 2023 attack on southern Israel as “terrorism.” During the raid, Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about another 250 hostage.
While the US, European Union and others designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, Turkey does not. It has halted trade with Israel and prevented Israeli President Isaac Herzog from using its airspace. The war in Gaza has led to about 46,000 deaths, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and militants.
Herzog is expected to travel to Davos, the WEF said, alongside the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.
The heightened tensions between Turkey and Israel were further highlighted by a report this week from a panel appointed by Israel’s government. Looking at Israel’s long-term defense needs, it warned of threats from Turkey, especially as Ankara increases its influence in Syria — which borders Israel — after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
--With assistance from Patrick Sykes.
(Updates with WEF comment in fourth paragraph.)
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