Reuters. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Vilnius on Monday (July 10) to take part in the NATO summit starting Tuesday.
Erdogan, in an unexpected move, said on Monday the European Union should open the way for Ankara's accession to the bloc before Turkey's parliament approves Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance.
Turkey's bid to join the EU has been frozen for years after membership talks were launched in 2005 under Erdogan's first term as prime minister.
The ties between Ankara and members of the bloc soured several years ago, especially after a 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey, but have since improved.
The bloc depends on the help of NATO ally Ankara, particularly on migration.
