Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey was determined to ramp up diplomatic efforts to achieve calm in the fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces, but added that a two-state solution was the only way to achieve regional peace.

Turkey, which has supported Palestinians in the past, hosted members of the Islamist group Hamas which launched the attack on Israel, and backed a two-state solution, said on Saturday it was ready to help de-escalate tensions.

Speaking in Istanbul, Erdogan repeated a call for both sides to avoid steps that will exacerbate the conflict, and added that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was at the root of all problems in the Middle East.