ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's foreign minister says the defense chiefs of Turkey and Greece could meet soon as part of new confidence-building measures aimed at reducing tensions between the NATO allies.

Mevlut Cavusoglu made the announcement on Thursday during a joint news conference with Greek counterpart Giorgos Katrougalos. The two met in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya to discuss an array of issues that have strained ties, including divided Cyprus and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.

Katrougalos said the two were focused on pushing forward a "positive agenda." He said that Greece recognizes that Turkey also has exploration rights in the Mediterranean under international laws.

On Cyprus, Cavusoglu said he and Katrougalos would hold a series of informal meetings to see if a new peace effort for the island is possible.