Sweden's NATO accession and Turkey's bid to buy F-16 jets should be kept separate, Erdogan says

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, September 10, 2023. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is linking F-16 fighter jet sales to Turkey with Turkish ratification of Sweden's NATO membership bid, and this "seriously upsets" Ankara, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference after a G20 summit in the Indian capital New Delhi, Erdogan said he had a "pull-aside" meeting with Biden on the sidelines of the gathering and they discussed the transfer of F-16s to Turkey.