Greece denied that it will enter “technical talks” with Turkey after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced the possibility of these.

Greek Foreign Ministry sources dismissed Mr Stoltenberg’s announcement and underlined that de-escalation of tension could only happen via the immediate withdrawal of all Turkish ships from the Greek continental shelf.

Greek media reports that the misunderstanding came after a discussion which Mr Stoltenberg had with the permanent delegations of both Greece and Turkey on Thursday. He gave each delegation a position paper with some points regarding the de-escalation of tension in the region and asked them to comment within a week.

While Greece denied that this constituted a start of dialogue, the Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement on its readiness for a dialogue to resolve disputes.  It added that it expects “Greece to support NATO’s initiative under which two countries will start technical talks on the Eastern Mediterranean.”

READ MORE: Border dispute: Turkey tests Greece’s waters in the eastern Mediterranean despite warnings

Earlier in the day, Turkey released a NAVTEX navigational notice that it would conduct joint naval exercises with Russia.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow on exercises set to take place from 8-22 September and 17-25 September in areas where Turkish energy exploration is being carried out. Both Turkey and Russia have strengthened their military, political and economic ties in recent years and have been coordinating their military presence in Syria.

Turkey made its announcement after the US announced that it was partially lifting a 33-year-old arms embargo against Cyprus.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who currently holds the leadership of the EU’s rotating presidency, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also spoke on the phone on Thursday as part of Germany’s efforts to mediate the territorial dispute.

Turkey seems to be standing firm regarding its presence in Greek territory around Kastellorizo, with a statement from Mr Erdogan’s office stating the Turkish leader wants to see Mediterranean resources shared “fairly”. He complained that Greece, Cyprus and other countries were the ones escalating tension. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Thursday accused France of ‘bullying’ tactics, after it joined Greece and Cyprus for military exercises in the region.

READ MORE: Turkey told to tone down stand-off in eastern Mediterranean as EU bloc considers sanctions

Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias is heading to New York on Friday, to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. They will discuss issues of international and regional interest, but the main focus will be on current developments in the eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus, according to a statement by Greece’s Foreign Ministry.