ANKARA, Jan. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw urged Hamas on Thursday to relinquish arms, shortly after the Islamic group claimed victory in the Jan. 25 Palestinian parliamentary elections, the CNN-Turk channel reported.

   Straw, on a current visit to Turkey since Wednsday, said Hamas now has to choose between democracy and terrorism.

   If it renounces violence, it will enjoy a wide international support, the top British diplomat added.

   Hamas said earlier Thursday that it has garnered 77 seats out of a total of 132 parliament seats in the elections, defeating the long-dominant Fatah movement led by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

   Hamas said before the election that it would not lay down arms as long as Israel's occupation exists. Enditem