Hurriyet Daily News Online
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Ocak 27, 2009 10:29
Turkey urged Hamas to make a decision between the armed struggle and the political movement, but said that the Palestinian militant group should be included in peace talks, newspapers reported on Tuesday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told in an interview with Milliyet and Radikal dailies that the agreed ceasefire in the Middle East is fragile, warning even a small spark could well turn the region back to its post-truce situation.  Â
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"A consensus should be made between the Palestinian groups. In Gaza there is the reality of Hamas. However we are not in a position to approve things that Hamas do. They have made mistakes, too. On the other hand it is impossible to ensure peace by ignoring Hamas. A middle ground must be found," Babacan was quoted as saying by Radikal.
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The Turkish government played an active role to reduce tensions in the Middle East and to cut a truce after Israel's three-week long air and ground assault on Gaza which killed more than 1,300 people.
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However the government came under fire due the harsh rhetoric it used in criticizing Israel.
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Babacan referred to the Israeli operations as a "lose-lose situation". "We are facing a situation in which everybody has lost. Israel's image has been deteriorated. Anti-Israel movements strengthened among the Arabs... The Arab world has been split," he added.
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