For his hateful outburst at Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was given a hero’s welcome on his return to Istanbul.

Turkey is slipping back into the pre-Ataturk Dark Ages, with an Islamist prime minister at the helm.

UPDATE at 1/30/09 10:34:43 am:

Meanwhile, Shimon Peres and Tayyip Erdogan are friends again.

Despite his public spat with Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the World Economic Forum over the Gaza fighting, President Shimon Peres said Friday that his relationship with the Turkish prime minister had always been good and remained so.

Speaking to reporters in Davos, Peres said Turkey was an ally and an important country, both in the Middle East and the World. Peres said he spoke to Erdogan after the row in which the Turkish prime minister stormed off the stage.

“I called him up and said, ‘I do not see the matter as personal,’” Peres said. “My respect for him didn’t change. We had an exchange of views - and the views are views.”