Erdogan receives visiting croatian PM

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader at the Prime Ministry. Afterwards, asked at a joint press conference whether the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel will hold without the release of a captured Israeli soldier, Erdogan said Hamas rejects any link between the two issues. "Turkey is ready to engage in peace efforts, but only if it is asked," he added. Erdoğan also cast doubt on the credibility of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's account of the runup to Israel's attack in Gaza starting late last year. "You (Olmert) first say you didn't know about the operation and then you say you're not supposed to let other leaders know," said Erdogan, referring to Olmert's visit to Turkey in December, when he made no mention of the impending attack. "Can one say this statement is credible? Such statements create problems of trust for the future."