Turkey calls on West to take ‘deterrent steps’ against Israeli action

Attacks on Lebanon this week showed that the Israeli government planned to spread the war to the region, Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, calling on Western countries to take "deterrent steps" against Israel's actions.

Erdogan told a press conference that Israel's war in Gaza will top the agenda of his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

"In order for our region not to be dragged into a great disaster, the pressure on Israel must be increased even more," Erdogan told a press conference in Istanbul.

He was commenting on attacks in Lebanon this week, including the explosion of Hezbollah members' pagers and walkie-talkies that killed 39 people.

The attacks on communications devices were widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

"It is time for all countries...