The Contracting Parties,

Reaffirming their faith in the principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations;

Being resolved to live at peace with all nations and to contribute to the maintenance of international peace;

Desiring to strengthen the friendly relations existing between them;

Being determined to defend the liberty and independence of their peoples as well as their territorial integrity from any compulsion from without;

Being resolved to unite their efforts to render more effective the organization of their defense against any foreign aggression, and to consult one another and collaborate on every matter of common interest, particularly on matters concerning their defense;

Being convinced that the common interests of their peoples and of all peaceful nations require appropriate measures to safeguard peace and security in this part of the world, pursuant to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter,

Have decided to conclude the present Treaty, and their Heads of State have appointed as their respective Plenipotentiaries:

who, having presented their full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions:

Article I

In order to ensure their permanent collaboration, the Contracting Parties will consult on all problems of common interest. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Contracting Parties, shall meet regularly in conference once a year, and more often if it is considered necessary, in order to study the international political situation and to take the necessary decision, in conformity with the purposes of the present Treaty.

Article II

The Contracting Parties intend to continue their common efforts for the safeguarding of peace and security in their area and to pursue in common the study of the problems of their security, including common measures of defense the need for which might arise in the event of unprovoked aggression against them.

Article III

The General Staffs of the Contracting Parties shall continue their collaboration in order to submit to their Governments recommendations concerning questions of defense that are formulated by mutual agreement, with a view to the making of co-ordinated decisions.

Article IV

The Contracting Parties will carry on their collaboration in the economic, cultural, and technical fields; in cases where it is considered advisable, appropriate agreements shall be concluded and the necessary agencies shall be established to resolve economic, technical, and cultural problems.

Article V

The Contracting Parties undertake to settle any dispute between them by such peaceful means as are specified in the Charter of the United Nations, and in a spirit of understanding and friendship; each Contracting Party also undertakes to refrain from any interference in the domestic affairs of the other parties.

Article VI

The Contracting Parties will refrain from concluding an alliance or from participating in an action directed against any one of them or of such nature as to prejudice its interests.

Article VII

The Contracting Parties declare, in so far as they are respectively concerned, that none of the international commitments now in force between them and one or more other States is in contradiction with the provisions of the present Treaty; furthermore, they assume the obligation not to sign in the future any international commitment that might be in conflict with the present Treaty.

Article VIII

This Treaty does not affect and cannot be interpreted as affecting in any way the rights and obligations of Turkey and Greece under the North Atlantic Treaty of April 4, 1949.

Article IX

After the entry into force of the present Treaty, any other State whose collaboration is considered by all the Contracting Parties to be useful for the accomplishment of the purposes of this Treaty may adhere to it under the same conditions and with the same rights as the three Signatory States.

An adhering State will become a party to the Treaty by depositing an instrument of accession.

Article X

The present Treaty, the French text of which shall be authentic, shall be ratified by each of the Contracting and the instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary of State of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in Belgrade; it shall enter into force on the date of deposit of the last instrument of ratification.

At the end of five years after the entry into force of the present Treaty, a Contracting Party may cease to be a party to this Treaty by a declaration addressed, one year in advance, to the Governments of the other Contracting Parties.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the said Plenipotentiaries have signed this Treaty.

Done at Ankara, this 28th day of February, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-three, in three originals, one of which has been delivered to each of the Contracting Parties.

(1) From Ankara, despatch 542, Mar. 3, 1953, file no. 668.811/3-353/enc. 1. Instruments of ratification deposited by Yugoslavia Apr. 6, 1953; by Greece, May 21, 1953; and by Turkey May 29, 1953; entered into force May 29, 1953. Back