US President Joe Biden holds talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Rome on Sunday amid a demand for Turkish F-16 fighter jets and tensions over human rights.
A US administration official said on Saturday that Biden would warn his Turkish counterpart that any “precipitous” action would not benefit US-Turkey relations and that Erdogan’s threat to expel the US ambassador to Turkey and other foreign envoys. The latter crisis should be avoided. Release of jailed philanthropist Usman Kavala.
Erdogan later withdrew his threat to expel the messengers.
Biden was expected to discuss Turkey’s request to buy F-16 fighter jets, which has been opposed by US lawmakers on the grounds that Turkey has purchased a Russian missile defense system.
Biden and Erdogan posed for photos ahead of talks on Sunday. Asked if he planned to deliver the F-16 to Turkey, Biden said he was “planning to have a good conversation.”