French President Emmanuel Macron will hold telephone talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday for the first time since tensions flared over Turkey's behaviour in the eastern Mediterranean, the Elysee Palace said.

A French presidential official said Macron would reaffirm Paris' position over the tensions between Turkey and fellow NATO member Greece after Ankara stepped up hydrocarbon research activities in the sea.

Macron has exchanged angry words with Erdogan, even though the tone has moderated in recent days with all sides saying they favour dialogue.

"Macron will reaffirm the position of France and Europe" in the talks, which come just ahead of an EU summit this week that will deal with the dispute, said the official.

The Turkish presidency said Tuesday that Turkey and Greece have agreed to start talks over disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean.

A three-way video conference had taken place earlier Tuesday between Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Council chief Charles Michel.

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