Turkey says it will hold talks with Greece without preconditions over their intensifying dispute in the oil-rich eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday, as the two NATO allies held rival naval drills in the contested waters.

“We are open to talks without preconditions,” Cavusoglu said during a press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Ankara. "We are in favor of negotiations for fair sharing, but nobody should lay down preconditions.”

Germany has tried to defuse tensions between Ankara and Athens, which both claim maritime rights to a part of the Mediterranean Sea, home to potential offshore gas reserves. Maas, who visited with his counterparts in both Turkey and Greece in separate meetings Tuesday, called for direct dialogue “instead of new provocations” that risked direct military confrontations.

“Germany and the whole European Union stand by Greece in firm solidarity," he said. “The other — equally important — message is that what we now need absolutely and immediately are signals of de-escalation and a readiness for dialogue.''