“The administration’s position (toward a sale) is favorable,” Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency quoted Gul as saying after he met Obama. “They are trying to convince Congress.”

Under U.S. law a proposed U.S. arms sale may proceed unless lawmakers enact joint resolution barring it, an event that has never occurred.

The Obama administration says that all exports of sensitive military technology are considered on a case-by-case basis under a general policy of “restraint,” taking into account national security and foreign-policy considerations as well as U.S. multilateral commitments.

Purchasers of U.S.-made military systems must agree to a strict set of “end-use” conditions designed to limit the system to approved uses such as self-defense and United Nations missions. They also must agree to let the United States monitor their adherence to these conditions.

Italy has sought to arm its drones for use in Afghanistan, where it maintains about 3,950 troops. But it initially wanted the UAVs themselves for such things as border patrols, the former congressional staff member said.

Teal Group, a U.S. aerospace consultancy, estimated in April that worldwide UAV spending will almost double over the next decade, totaling more than $89 billion in the next 10 years.