Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg says Greece and Turkey have agreed to start “technical talks” aimed at helping to reduce the risks of military incidents and accidents in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkey’s president has warned Greece not to test his country’s patience or courage as the Nato allies remained locked in a tense dispute over offshore energy exploration in the Mediterranean.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says his country is planning to exercise its legal right to extend its territorial waters along its western coastline from six to 12 nautical miles.