Greece says wants dialogue with Turkey but will defend sovereign rights

Greece is ready for a dialogue to help dissolve tensions with Turkey over energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean but the country will also defend its sovereign rights, its foreign minister said on Tuesday.

After meeting his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Athens, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias also said that Turkey continues with "provocations" and "violations of international law" despite calls by its neighbours and allies to de-escalate tensions.

Dendias said the issue doesn't only concern the two NATO allies but the European Union as a whole.