Biden meets with Erdogan at G20

At the G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Biden expressed his deep condolences to the people of Turkey and President Erdogan in connection with the terrorist attack in Istanbul on November 13, which killed six people and injured more than 80. The U.S. president stressed that the U.S. supports its NATO ally in confronting terrorism.

Biden also pledged his administration’s support for Turkey’s desire to buy American F-16 fighter jets.

According to the White House, Biden expressed gratitude to President Erdogan for his efforts to restart the Black Sea initiative to remove grain from Ukrainian ports. Biden and Erdogan agreed that the agreement was critical to improving global food security amid Russia’s war against Ukraine, and that Ukrainian grain exports should continue.

The U.S. and Turkish leaders also discussed continued close coordination on NATO and other global and regional issues.