Jeff Mason

ROME (Reuters). During a Sunday meeting, President Joe Biden will inform President Tayyip Erdan that U.S.-Turkish relations are not in their best interests and should avoid any precipitous moves.

Erdogan ordered earlier this month that 10 U.S. ambassadors be made “persona non-grata” in order to free Osman Kavala (a philanthropist jailed by Erdogan), but he later rescinded the threat.

The U.S. official said that the president would indicate to us that we have to figure out a way of avoiding crises similar to that in the future and that any sudden action will not be beneficial to the U.S. – Turkey partnership and alliance.

According to the official, a meeting could not have taken place if Erdogan had expelled U.S. Ambassador. The issue was resolved for now, however, he stated.

Biden will visit Rome as part of the G20 summit. Biden will also be speaking out about Turkey’s request to buy F-16 fighter aircrafts. The United States defense relationship and other issues in the region, including Syria and Libya.

U.S. senators have requested that the Biden Administration not sell F-16s Turkey. The threat to block such exports was made on the ground that Turkey purchased Russian missile defense system and had “acted like an opponent”.

Reuters earlier reported that Turkey requested the purchase of 40 Lockheed Martin F-16s as well as nearly 80 modernization kit for its warplanes.

Recent years have seen tensions in the NATO alliance, between Turkey and the United States, which is a NATO member, over differences of policy regarding Syria, Turkey’s S-400 missile defense purchase and human rights.