ANKARA, Feb 21: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday criticised Israel’s use of economic sanctions against Palestinians for voting Hamas into power and defended Ankara’s decision to hold talks with the militant group.

The decision to host a five-man Hamas delegation last week infuriated Israel, which has close trade and security ties with Turkey.

It also sparked criticism from much of the Turkish media and embarrassment among some Turkish diplomats, worried that it could strain Ankara’s credibility as a reliable ally of the United States and as a strong opponent of terrorism.

“The result of the elections has brought a new structure. If we try to tame this new structure by economic methods, this cannot be called democracy,” Mr Erdogan told a gathering of his ruling party.—Reuters