An American official confirmed that President Joe Biden will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today, Sunday, in Rome on the sidelines of the G20 summit. The official stated that President Biden will warn his Turkish counterpart that any reckless actions will not benefit US-Turkish relations and that crises should be avoided, according to a statement made to Reuters. The American official also added that President Biden will discuss Turkey's request to purchase F-16 fighter jets and its defense relations with the United States.
It is worth noting that President Biden, who left Washington to attend two international summits in Rome and then in Glasgow, decided to meet with his Turkish counterpart and consult with allies about resuming negotiations with Iran, following Erdogan's reversal on expelling ten ambassadors, including the US ambassador, over the detention of Turkish opposition figure Osman Kavala. The Turkish president recently backed down from expelling the ten Western ambassadors, including the US ambassador. The official stated that the Biden-Erdogan meeting would not have taken place if Ankara had expelled the US ambassador.
The relationship between the American and Turkish presidents remains tense, particularly due to Ankara's acquisition of a Russian defense system despite being a NATO member. It is noted that Biden is participating in two important international events this weekend: the G20 industrialized nations summit that opened on Saturday in Rome, followed by the United Nations climate change conference starting Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.
