Turkey is dropping its opposition to Sweden's bid to join NATO, a big development on the eve of the alliance's 74th annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The announcement was applauded by President Joe Biden and comes a day after he spoke with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about U.S. F-16s for Ankara, although any direct connection was unclear.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Monday an agreement was reached between him, Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Stoltenberg called it a "historic step" that will strengthen NATO allies.
Biden, who was vocal in supporting Sweden's membership, was quick to celebrate the breakthrough.
According to a press statement from NATO, Erdogan agreed to quickly send Sweden's accession protocol to Parliament in exchange for new commitments on terrorism and economic cooperation, including the establishment of a special coordinator for counter-terrorism within NATO.
The Nordic nation's bid also faced opposition from Hungary. Unanimous approval from all member nations is needed in order to join the organization.
The NATO summit is expected to center on continued aid for Ukraine as its launched its counteroffensive against Russian invaders.
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