ANKARA

The NATO secretary-general and Greek prime minister on Thursday discussed the recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

“As part of his regular consultations with Greek and Turkish leaders, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke by telephone with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday (24 September 2020) about the Eastern Mediterranean,” said a NATO statement.

“The Secretary General welcomed the recent announcement that Greece and Turkey will hold exploratory diplomatic talks. He stressed the importance of resolving the situation in a spirit of Allied solidarity and in accordance with international law,” it added.

Stoltenberg also said on Twitter: “NATO is an important platform for dialogue between Allies. The situation must be solved in the spirit of allied solidarity and on the basis of international law.”

Tensions have recently escalated regarding the issue of energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Greece, with France's support, has disputed Turkey's energy exploration, trying to box in Turkish maritime territory based on small islands near the Turkish coast.

Turkey, the country with the longest coastline on the Mediterranean, has sent drill ships with a military escort to explore for energy on its continental shelf, saying that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also have rights in the region.

To reduce tensions, Turkey has called for dialogue to ensure fair sharing of the region's resources.