Tehran - Iran on Friday hailed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his row with Israeli President Shimon Peres over the Gaza Strip at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"We thank Mr Erdogan and hail what he did in Davos," said former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani at a Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran. "This attitude exploded in the world like a bomb."

"We also thank the Turkish people who staged such a glorious welcoming ceremony on his return home," added Rafsanjani, who currently acts as head of the Experts Assembly, the country's highest clerical body.

He blamed other leaders of Muslim countries for not having acted like Erdogan and not sufficiently helping the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Erdogan stormed out of a Davos debate over the Gaza Strip Thursday, angrily charging that he had not given enough time to speak.

Peres had spoken at length, defending the Israeli offensive and placing the blame for the bloodshed on Hamas while Erdogan condemned Israel's "disproportionate use of force" in its three-week offensive and called for including Hamas, the Islamic movement ruling the enclave, in the political process.

Upon Erdogan's return early Friday to Turkey, thousands of people gathered at the Istanbul airport to welcome him home, waving banners reading "Welcome back, conqueror of Davos" and "World, look at our prime minister." (dpa)