NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today that Greece and Turkey have agreed to start "technical negotiations" to reduce the risk of military incidents in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.
In a statement published on the NATO website, Stoltenberg said he had spoken with the leaders of Turkey and Greece, two members of the alliance who are arguing over the right to explore oil and gas deposits in the area.
"Greece and Turkey are valued allies and NATO is an important platform for consultations on all issues affecting our common security," Stoltenberg said.
However, a Greek official immediately denied that a deal had been reached, saying that Turkey must first withdraw warships from areas in the eastern Mediterranean where they are conducting disputed exploration for energy deposits.
Ankara has not yet reacted to Stoltenberg's statement.
Turkey announced today that Russia will hold military exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean from September 8 to 22 and from September 17 to 25 in the area where Turkish exploration ships are located.
It is unclear why Turkey, a NATO member, would announce exercises on behalf of Moscow, even though the two countries have significantly strengthened military, political and economic ties in recent years.
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