ANKARA, Jan. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw urged the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Thursday to renounce violence and recognize Israel, 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 Wednesday, said Hamas now has to choose between democracy and terrorism.

    "Hamas has to understand that with democracy goes renunciation of violence," Straw told a joint press conference after meeting with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Ankara.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.

    Straw stressed that "the international community has to respect the results of any fair and democratic elections, but those who participate in democratic elections have to understand that democracy and violence are incompatible."

    Hamas has to understand that many of the things it says it will deliver to the people of occupied territories can only be delivered through negotiation with the Israeli government, said Straw, who is due to depart for Athens after the press conference.For his part, Gul said that the Palestinian people suffere denormously in the past and the peace process should continue without any disruption and Turkey expects the new Palestinian government to act responsibly and to respect democratic values.Enditem