Erdoğan accuses Israel of plans to spread Gaza war to wider region

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday accused Israel of planning to spread its war in the Gaza Strip to the wider region, as fears are running high that clashes with Lebanon's Hezbollah militia could escalate further.

"Attacks on Lebanon in recent days have proven our concerns about the Israeli administration's plans to spread war to the region," Erdoğan told reporters in Istanbul ahead of his departure for New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

The region faces a "huge crisis," the Turkish president said, further accusing Israel of "carrying out attacks like a terrorist group," referring to the recent explosions of pagers used by Hezbollah in Lebanon which have been widely attributed to Israel.

Israel's attacks on Lebanon are a "provocation" in order to implement a "radical Zionist ideology," Erdoğan charged.

Erdoğan's government has close ties to Palestinian extremist group Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah.