WHILE ON A VISUAL APCH; A LEAR 25 FLC INITIATED A 270 DEG TURN FOR SPACING WITHOUT ATC APPROVAL. THE LEAR WAS FOLLOWING A B727 TOO CLOSELY.

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WE WERE ON A R DOWNWIND AT 9000 FT MSL LNDG AT SLC WHEN APCH SAID TO EXPEDITE TO 6000 FT FOR A BASE LEG. WE STARTED DOWN AND AT APPROX 6800 FT MSL; APCH SAID TO TURN R 080 DEGS AND TFC WILL BE AT 12 O'CLOCK; A B727 FOR RWY 16. WE THEN CALLED TFC IN SIGHT. AT THIS POINT; I THOUGHT THE CTLR WAS GOING TO CLR US FOR THE VISUAL TO PASS BEHIND TFC FOR RWY 17; WHICH WAS A TYPICAL PATTERN FOR US TO FLY. INSTEAD; THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL BEHIND TFC FOR RWY 16 AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT THE TWR. AT THIS POINT; I WAS SURPRISED THAT HE GAVE US CLRNC SO CLOSE TO THE TFC THAT WE WERE TO FOLLOW. IMMEDIATELY; I HAD THE FO ASK THE TWR FOR A L 270 DEG TURN FOR SOME SPACING BTWN US AND THE TFC. TWR CAME BACK WITH THE REPLY WHICH I UNDERSTOOD TO BE APPROVED. SO I STARTED A SHALLOW TURN TO THE L AND ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY THAT THE L 270 DEG TURN WAS APPROVED. BEFORE HE COULD ASK; THE TWR CAME BACK AND ASKED US IF WE WERE MAKING A 360 DEG TURN. THE FO REPLIED; NO; A 270 DEG TURN. THE TWR SAID; KEEP THE TURN TIGHT; CLRED TO LAND RWY 16. SO WE MADE THE L 270 DEG TURN; CAME AROUND AND LANDED. SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INVOLVED WERE: APCH CTL NOT TELLING US WHICH RWY TO EXPECT AND TURNING US TOO CLOSE BEHIND TFC TO FOLLOW. POOR COM BTWN THE CREW AND THE TWR (CONFUSION). THE CREW DID NOT CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS (POSSIBLY A LOW APCH). THIS WAS OUR LAST LEG OF A 13.5 HR DUTY DAY AND 7.2 HRS OF FLT TIME.