Increasing tensions: Turkey wants resolution of disputes with Greece through dialogue

Turkey wants to resolve disputes with Greece through dialogue, Turkey's Defence Minister Hulus Akar has said.

Tensions between the two NATO members have increased since Ankara began oil and gas research operations in a controversial Mediterranean Sea area on Monday.

Greece says Turkey's exploratory ship -- Oruc Reis -- is operating illegally in waters falling into Greece's continental sphere -- accusations Ankara has rejected.

The Turkish ship is accompanied by several warships. Greece has also sent its battleships to the region.

“We want to reach political solutions through peaceful means in accordance with international laws”, Akar told the Reuters agency.

Akar said Turkey will continue to protect its “rights and interests” in coastal waters.

Greece's Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, will meet in Vienna with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeii on Friday to discuss the latest situation.

An urgent online meeting is expected Friday between the European Union foreign ministers, who will discuss the mounting tensions between Greece and Turkey.

Ankara is angered by an agreement Greece signed with Egypt last Thursday, which stipulates their maritime borders and exclusive economic zones for resource exploitation rights.

Last year, Turkey signed a similar agreement with the UN-backed Libyan government in Tripoli.

The Turkey-Liby Agreement provoked outrage in Greece, Egypt and Cyprus, saying it violated their economic rights in the Mediterranean.

Greece and Turkey have traditionally had strained relations and have been at odds for decades over a range of issues.

Both countries have been on the brink of war three times since the mid 1970s, including once again the rights of underwater wealth exploration.