Turkey will suspend oil and gas exploration studies in disputed waters in the Eastern Mediterranean, which have sharply increased tensions with neighboring Greece.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered his aides to be constructive and to suspend research for a while, President's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told CNN Turk.

Turkey last week announced plans to send the research vessel Oruc Reis and two support vessels to conduct operations south of the Greek islands of Rhodes, Karpathos, and Kastelorizo. This angered Greece and drew criticism from the US, France, and other European countries.

 Everyone should continue to work on their continental shelves and work together in disputed areas, Kalin said. He also said that bilateral issues with Greece should be resolved via dialogue, and not via threats against Turkey, which claims to be an EU member.

In Athens, Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas welcomed Turkey's decision. He described the latest research mission as illegal but added that he hoped the two countries would be able to conduct meaningful negotiations, AP reported.

This is a positive development, Petsas noted adding that they want to have open channels of communication with Turkey and discuss an issue that has plagued both sides for many decades: the demarcation of maritime zones.