The Turkish president has promised to help reach a ceasefire between the United States and Israel and Iran.

“We are on the side of peace. We want an end to the bloodbath, for the tears to stop flowing, and that our region finally reach the lasting peace it has cried out for for years,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told members of his party in Ankara.

Erdogan, who maintains good relations with President Donald Trump despite frequently criticising American ally Israel, insisted the US-Israeli strikes on Saturday, which sparked the war and triggered retaliation from Tehran, were “illegal”.

“We will intensify our contacts at all levels until a ceasefire is concluded and tranquility is restored to our region,” he said, adding he’s “grieving at the sight of the suffering of the civilians and innocent children” in Iran hit by the conflict.