Erdogan, Biden meet on sidelines of G20 summit in Rome

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Joe Biden have met in Rome on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

The leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional matters, including Syria and Afghanistan along with other issues related to Turkey's request for clarity in ongoing F-35 fighter jet dispute.

Turkey made $1.4 billion in payments for F-35 fighter jets, but the the US never delivered the jets.

"We need to discuss with them how this will be repaid to us," Erdogan said earlier this week.

In 2019, Washington announced that it was taking Turkey out of the F-35 stealth fighter jet program over Ankara's purchase of the S-400 system.

READ MORE: Erdogan to meet Biden on sidelines of COP26 summit in Glasgow

READ MORE: US, Turkey in talks over F-35 'dispute resolution'

Positive atmosphere

According to Turkey's Directorate of Communications, the meeting was held in a positive atmosphere.

Both leaders expressed the resolve to further strengthen and develop Turkey-US relations and agreed to establish a joint mechanism in this direction, it said in a statement.

They also agreed on steps to be taken mutually in line with the common perspective to increase the bilateral trade volume were discussed, and the ground of NATO alliance and strategic partnership was emphasised.

The meeting expressed satisfaction with the mutual steps taken on climate change, the statement added.

Both leaders will also attend the world leaders' summit at the start of the UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, on Monday.

READ MORE: The real reasons behind US opposition to Turkey's S-400 purchase