Middle East News
Turkey moves to convince Hamas to release Israeli soldier
Feb 6, 2009, 14:26 GMT
Ankara - The Turkish government has sent a delegation to Damascus to meet exiled Hamas leaders in an attempt to secure the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, CNN-Turk reported on Friday.
CNN-Turk said the delegation had hopes Shalit would be released in the shortest possible time.
Shalit was captured near Gaza in a cross-border raid by Hamas militants in June 2006. Israel has insisted that it will not agree to any long-term truce in the Gaza Strip if Shalit is not released.
Turkish officials have been in contact with Hamas leaders for a number of years and have played an active role in trying to organize a long-term truce in Gaza.
After being criticized for its supposedly pro-Hamas line during the Israeli military operations, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan last week called on Hamas to make a decision as to whether it is an 'armed group or a political movement.'
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SP4: goodFeb 6th, 2009 - 14:47:00
...luck. This is the terror Modus operandi, to take a hostage so the terrorists can walk around in plain view without getting popped.
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