Biden called Erdogan: what issues were discussed

U.S. President Joe Biden discussed with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan the issue of Ankara's possible purchase of U.S. F-16s. The leaders also touched upon the topic of Sweden's accession to NATO.

This was reported by Reuters.

As noted, the relevant topics were discussed during a telephone conversation when Biden congratulated Erdogan on his victory in the presidential election held on Sunday, May 28.

"I spoke with Erdogan. I congratulated Erdogan. He still wants to work out something regarding the F-16. I told him that we want to deal with Sweden, so let's do it," Biden told reporters.

The American president added that the parties would contact each other on these issues later, namely next week.

According to Erdogan, the two presidents agreed to deepen cooperation on all aspects of their bilateral ties, which have "become even more important in the face of regional and global challenges."

It is worth noting that Turkey tried to buy $20 billion worth of F-16 fighter jets from the United States, but the sale was "frozen" due to objections from the US Congress.

However, the Biden administration has repeatedly stated that it supports the deal.

The United States also wants the issue of Sweden's accession to NATO to be resolved before the NATO leaders' summit in Lithuania in July.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 30/05/2023