US President Biden meets with Turkey's Erdogan

US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met at the G20 Summit in Rome on Sunday and discussed issues of mutual interest.

According to the White House readout of the meeting, Biden "underscored his desire to maintain constructive relations" between the US and Turkey as well as to "expand areas of cooperation, and manage our disagreements effectively."

Biden also "expressed his appreciation for Turkey's nearly two decades of contributions to the NATO mission in Afghanistan."

Other issues discussed included Syria, the South Caucasus, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the elections in Libya.

Biden told Erdogan that Turkey remains an important ally in the NATO alliance "but noted US concerns over Turkey's possession of the Russian S-400 missile."

The US banned Turkey from the F-35 Joint Strike program in 2019 and canceled its order for a fleet of those fifth-generation stealth fighters after Ankara purchased and took delivery of the S-400 air defense systems.

Turkey had planned to buy up to 100 for its air force and had already made a payment of $1.4 billion. Erdogan repeatedly said in recent weeks that he would discuss compensation for that canceled order when he met Biden. It's presently unclear, however, if the issue was raised during Sunday's meeting.

On Sunday, Biden "also emphasized the importance of strong democratic institutions, respect for human rights, and the rule of law for peace and prosperity."

Relations between Biden and Erdogan got off to a rocky start, with the latter not calling the former for months. This was in complete contrast to Erdogan's personal relationship with former President Trump.

Biden also became the first US president to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

In late September, Biden did not meet Erdogan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, much to the Turkish leader's chagrin.