Joe Biden apologises to Turkey for suggesting it financed Syria jihadis

US Vice-President Joe Biden has apologised to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over comments suggesting Turkey and other nations had financed and armed jihadist organisations in Syria.

Erdogan reacted furiously on Saturday at comments made by Biden at Harvard University on Thursday, in which the vice-president criticised allies in Turkey and the Arab world for supporting Sunni militant groups in Syria such as Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra.

"If Mr Biden used such language, that would make him a man of the past for me," Erdogan said in Istanbul. "No one can accuse Turkey of having supported any terrorist organisation in Syria, including IS."

A statement from Biden's office released in Washington said he had called Erdogan to "clarify" his remarks.

"The vice-president apologised for any implication that Turkey or other allies and partners in the region had intentionally supplied or facilitated the growth of ISIL or other violent extremists in Syria," a summary of the phone call said, using another name for Islamic State.

"The vice-president made clear that the United States greatly values the commitments and sacrifices made by our allies and partners from around the world to combat the scourge of ISIL, including Turkey.