Turkey to attend World Economic Forum in Davos

Turkey will attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held in Davos after a break of three years, when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan requested one minute from a moderator to finish his speech before his dramatic Jan. 29 walkout in Davos in protest of Israel's Gaza policies. EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis yesterday said on his flight from Montenegro to Lithuania that he would attend this year's summit as part of a delegation consisting of Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek and Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Sahin to be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan. Bagis said that the invitation was made by WEF Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab. Bagis stated that he would attend a meeting related with Davos to be organized in Munich on January 23 and then proceed to Davos on January 25. Bagis added that a publicity event would be organized to promote Istanbul prior to Istanbul Summit to be organized by the WEF next year. "In Davos, we will organize an amazing publicity event with regard to the Istanbul Summit. Mr. Schwab has previously apologized to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for what have happened in 2009. As you see, this time Erdogan won't go to Davos, but this time Davos will come to Istanbul," Bagis said.