ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's government, accused of siding with Hamas during Israel's Gaza offensive, has called on the Islamist group to use peaceful means to achieve its aims rather than armed struggle, its foreign minister said.
The government has come under criticism for the strong rhetoric it used against Israel during the offensive in the Gaza strip. Turkish opposition parties, ex-diplomats and columnists have accused the government of taking a pro-Hamas stance.
"Hamas should make a decision. Do they want to be an armed organization or a political movement?," Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told Milliyet and Radikal newspapers in an interview published Tuesday.
"Our suggestion is that they work within the framework of the political system. The party supported by Hamas got 44 percent of the votes in the last elections. It is impossible to ignore this base," he said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/burningIssues/idUKTRE50Q2LI20090127
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