According to CoinMeta, the Turkish Communications Agency issued a statement on the 7th stating that the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" signed by Turkey with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on that day does not conflict with Article 5 of NATO, which is the collective defense clause. Earlier in the day, leaders from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The agreement stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be considered an attack against all three countries. Some public opinion believes that Turkey's signing of this agreement "violates Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, namely the collective defense clause, and establishes a parallel alliance structure." The Turkish Communications Agency stated that such claims are "completely unfounded" and represent "obvious manipulation of public opinion." The agency said that the agreement does not conflict with Turkey's existing international alliances, including those with NATO; on the contrary, it constitutes a supplementary cooperation mechanism that helps to maintain regional security.