BSS
  08 Aug 2026, 08:35
Update : 08 Aug 2026, 08:39

Turkey says new defence pact aligns with NATO commitments

ISTANBUL, Aug 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Turkey said on Friday that its new defence agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia did not contradict its commitments to the NATO alliance.

"The agreement is not in contradiction with the commitments of Turkey's existing international alliances, including those at the heart of NATO," the government's anti-disinformation service said in a post on X.

In fact, it was an additional cooperation mechanism that supported regional security, the statement added.

"Turkey's development of regional partnerships is not an alternative to its NATO membership," it said.

The service said it was responding to "baseless claims and manipulative posts" criticising the new agreement.

The three countries signed the joint decree on Friday in Riyadh, amid violence in the region from Houthi attacks and the US-Iran war.