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Hamas rejects Israeli prisoner deal within truce talks: Turkish PM

Israel Materials 19 February 2009 15:58 (UTC +04:00)

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Hamas rejected the inclusion of possible release of an Israeli prisoner within Egypt-mediated truce talks, Xinhua reported.
Erdogan made the remarks Wednesday at a joint press conference with his visiting Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader after their official talks in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
However, the Turkish prime minister demanded to negotiate the issue under a separate deal for prisoner swap.
"Hamas has refused to talk the release of the Israeli prisoner under truce negotiations, and it has offered to separate the truce and prisoner swap," said Erdogan.
Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert linked on Saturday a long-term truce with the release of the Israeli prisoner, Gilad Shalit, who was seized in June 2006.

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