Turkey offers to mediate in Lebanon political crisis

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived here on a one-day visit for talks with feuding Lebanese leaders on the country's deepening political crisis.

Shortly after his arrival, Erdogan met with Lebanese premier Fouad Siniora whose Western-backed government is facing increasing pressure in the form of street protests led by Hezbollah and other opposition groups.

"I told Siniora that sectarian differences will leave repercussions on the region," Erdogan told reporters.

"I also told him that all parties in Lebanon and all states in the region must act to solve this problem," Erdogan said, stressing that a solution to the Lebanese crisis should be reached through dialogue.

Erdogan's visit came as the growing political and sectarian tensions among Lebanese factions threaten to tear the country apart. It also came more than a week after Arab League chief Amr Moussa said his efforts have failed to reach a solution.

Tensions between pro- and anti-Syrian groups erupted when six pro-Hezbollah Cabinet ministers resigned in November after Siniora rejected their demand for a new national unity government that would give Hezbollah and its allies a veto power on key Cabinet decisions. AP

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