▁as ▁the ▁Ag re ement ▁of ▁Friend ship ▁and ▁Co operation , ▁was ▁a ▁treat y ▁signed ▁by ▁Greece , ▁Turkey , ▁and ▁S FR ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁February ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁It ▁was ▁signed ▁in ▁An k ara . ▁The ▁treat y ▁was ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁a ▁d eter rence ▁against ▁Soviet ▁expansion ▁in ▁the ▁B alk ans . ▁It ▁provided ▁for ▁the ▁event ual ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁joint ▁military ▁staff ▁for ▁the ▁three ▁countries . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁Turkey ▁and ▁Greece ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁Tre aty ▁Organisation ▁( N AT O ), ▁while ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁was ▁a ▁non - aligned ▁commun ist ▁state . ▁The ▁B alk an ▁P act ▁allowed ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁to ▁associate ▁itself ▁with ▁NAT O ▁indirect ly . ▁ ▁Background ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁and ▁the ▁USS R ▁had ▁been ▁al lies ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁but ▁bil ater al ▁co operation ▁halt ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁through ▁the ▁T ito – St alin ▁Split . ▁F ear ing ▁a ▁Soviet ▁invasion , ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁quickly ▁established ▁political ▁and ▁defense ▁al li ances ▁and ▁agre ements ▁with ▁the ▁Western ▁countries . ▁NAT O ▁considered ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁to ▁be ▁strateg ically ▁important ▁country , ▁and ▁the ▁B alk an ▁P act ▁was ▁perce ived ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁West ▁to ▁protect ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁against ▁the ▁USS R .