As Türkiye hosts the 2026 NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s General Directorate of Cinema has opened access to a rare historical film archive showcasing Türkiye’s early years in NATO and its diplomatic and military role during the Cold War.

According to a statement from the ministry, the newly released archive features footage of late Prime Minister Adnan Menderes attending the 1957 NATO Summit in Paris, one of the alliance’s key meetings during a period of heightened East-West tensions, The Caspian Post reports, citing Hurriyet Daily News.

The collection captures significant moments from Türkiye’s early participation in NATO.

The archive also includes images of then Foreign Minister Fuat Köprülü, Vice Admiral Fahri Korutürk - who would later serve as Türkiye’s sixth president - and rare recordings of the country’s first military activities conducted under the NATO framework.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Türkiye joined NATO on Feb. 18, 1952, alongside Greece. After seeking stronger security guarantees amid growing Cold War tensions and territorial demands from the Soviet Union, it became the alliance’s southeastern flank during Cold War.

Since then, Türkiye has remained one of NATO’s longest-serving members and the second-largest army, contributing to collective defense operations, peacekeeping missions and regional security initiatives across Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East.