VILNIUS, Lithuania (NEWSnet/AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to send Sweden’s NATO accession protocol to the Turkish Parliament “as soon as possible.”

Stoltenberg made the announcement after talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania.

The announcement comes only after Erdogan said he would only approve Sweden's NATO bid if Turkey could join the European Union. The reason behind the reversal is not immediately clear.

Sweden’s NATO accession has been held up by objections from Turkey since last year.

Erdogan's announcement likely clears the way for the Scandinavian country to join NATO.

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