US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Cyprus on September 11 as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions with Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean, AFP reported.

Pompeo will also urge Turkey to withdraw its warships from the disputed waters, a condition Greece has set for negotiations.

According to Pompeo, the purpose of the visit is to understand the risks from the point of view of the people of Cyprus.

Political and military tensions between Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus have escalated this year over disputed territories in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Relations worsened after Turkey sent the research vessel Oruc Reis on August 10, accompanied by warships, to explore for hydrocarbons in the area between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete.

Athens reacted to the Turkish move by sending naval and air units to the area and conducting military exercises with Cyprus and France.

According to Pompeo, the dispute must be resolved diplomatically and peacefully.

Earlier the US lifted a multi-year arms embargo on Cyprus on the purchase of non-lethal defense equipment, which angered Turkey.

The United States, Germany, and NATO have tried to ease tensions between Turkey and Greece.

Pompeo is visiting Cyprus after Greece and Turkey submitted conflicting reports on the nature and success of the technical meetings hosted by NATO this week.

At the meeting, an exchange of views took place, measures were discussed to prevent possible interference between the military elements, the Turkish defense ministry said in a statement.

According to the Athens mews agency, citing diplomatic sources, there was no dialogue between the Greek and Turkish representatives of NATO.

A representative of Greece went to the office of the chair of the NATO Military Committee to present the country's assessment of the NATO Secretary General's proposals on a possible de-escalation mechanism. The exchange of views did not take place, the sources said. Ankara's statement was part of Turkey's attempt to present an unrealistic picture to avoid possible sanctions, they said.

European Union political leaders will meet late September to discuss possible sanctions on Turkey. On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron received the heads of state of the six EU Mediterranean states that issued a joint statement expressing solidarity with Greece and Cyprus.