TURKEY CALLS FOR DIALOGUE TO SOLVE DISPUTE Turkey said today its disputes with Greece, including rights on the continental shelf in the Aegean Sea, should be solved through negotiations. A Foreign Ministry statement said the latest crisis between the two NATO members stemmed from the continental shelf dispute and an agreement on this issue would effect the security, economy and other rights of both countries. "As the issue is basicly political, a solution can only be found by bilateral negotiations," the statement said. Greece has repeatedly said the issue was legal and could be solved at the International Court of Justice. The two countries approached armed confrontation last month after Greece announced it planned oil exploration work in the Aegean and Turkey said it would also search for oil. A face-off was averted when Turkey confined its research to territorrial waters. "The latest crises created an historic opportunity to solve the disputes between the two countries," the Foreign Ministry statement said. Turkey's ambassador in Athens, Nazmi Akiman, was due to meet Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou today for the Greek reply to a message sent last week by Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Ozal. The contents of the message were not disclosed.