(Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked his country's officials to skip this year's World Economic Forum in Davos over the organizers' stance on Israel's war against Hamas, according to people familiar with the matter.
Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek was planning to attend the annual gathering until Erdogan — who has criticized Israel's conduct of its war against the militant group in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza — reversed the decision, the people said, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Erdogan's and Simsek's offices both declined to comment. The World Economic Forum didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment on Monday.
Klaus Schwab, the forum's founder and executive chairman, condemned “Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel” after the group killed around 1,200 people in a surprise raid in October. While Schwab also called for measures to protect the civilian population of Gaza, the statement angered Turkish politicians.
Erdogan's decision to withdraw his top officials from the summit complicates Turkey's efforts to reconnect with global investors after years of unconventional policies had driven them away.
--With assistance from Selcan Hacaoglu.
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