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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Biden Meets Erdogan amid Tension over Defense, Human Rights

US President Joe Biden and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo as they attend a bilateral meeting, on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Rome, Italy October 31, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Joe Biden held talks with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Rome on Sunday amid a request from Turkey for F-16 fighter jets and tension over human rights.

A US administration official said on Saturday that Biden would warn his Turkish counterpart that any "precipitous" actions would not benefit US-Turkish relations and that crises should be avoided after Erdogan threatened to throw out the US ambassador to Turkey and other foreign envoys for seeking the release of jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala.

Erdogan later withdrew his threat to expel the envoys, Reuters reported.

Biden was expected to discuss Turkey's request to purchase F-16 fighter jets, which US lawmakers have opposed on the grounds that Turkey purchased Russian missile defense systems.

Biden and Erdogan posed for photos before their talks on Sunday.

Asked if he planned to give Turkey F-16s, Biden said they were "planning to have a good conversation".

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