Turkey will host all exiled Palestinian prisoners

Turkey will take in the 40 Palestinian prisoners set for exile abroad as part of an exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, Turkish media reported on Friday. Israel refused to deport the prisoners -- part of the first round of 450 set be released this week -- to Egypt, Lebanon or Syria, according to the report in Turkish daily Hurriyet. Hamas and Israel agreed on Tuesday to exchange over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for captured Israeli solider Gilad Shalit. Some 200 detainees will be exiled, 40 detainees overseas and 163 sent to Gaza. The second phase of the prisoner release will be implemented after two months, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishiq said on Thursday. In a statement published on his Facebook page, Rishiq listed criteria he said had been agreed with Israel for the next stage of releases, whose names will be selected by Israel. Israel will free "prisoners serving time for patriotic acts rather than criminal acts," and not prisoners who have nearly completed jail terms, Rishiq said. Freed detainees will have several years of their sentence remaining, and will all be allowed to return to their home towns, the Hamas official added.