Turkish PM blasts seizure of Palestinian officials

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A clearly frustrated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Israel on Saturday for seizing Palestinian government officials, suggesting it was a disproportionate response to the kidnapping of IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit. "The kidnapping of a soldier is not right - it's wrong. OK, is the price of this eight ministers, does the price of this mean kidnapping parliament members and local directors over there, taking them prisoner?" Erdogan said he had already spoken by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a member of the Hamas group that won Palestinian elections and has vowed to destroy Israel.