Turkey urges calm in Lebanese crisis

Turkey yesterday urged restraint to all parties in Lebanon's political turmoil, warning of broader implications for regional stability. "We call on all parties to refrain from violence and to act with common sense and within democratic legitimacy," a Foreign Ministry statement said, a day after protests against the appointment of a Hezbollah-backed premier turned ugly. "The escalation of tensions and the deepening of polarization would harm the people of Lebanon and might lead to instability and divisive movements in the whole region," it said.