ANKARA (AFP) -- Turkey and Greece have ordered their warplanes to fly unarmed over the Aegean Sea as part of confidence boosting measures between the once feuding neighbors, the Turkish army chief said in remarks published on Friday.

"For the first time, unarmed flights have started over the Aegean. This is only the beginning," Chief of General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit told reporters.

Buyukanit returned last week from a rare visit to Athens, where he held talks with his Greek counterpart, Admiral Panagiotis Chinofotis.

The talks were part of efforts to improve ties between the rival NATO allies after a deadly collision in May between a Turkish and a Greek jet in disputed airspace over the Aegean, where warplanes from the two countries often engage in mock dogfights.