NATO spotlights Türkiye’s strategic role, Ankara’s heritage in summit video

NATO on Monday released a promotional video ahead of the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, highlighting Türkiye‘s strategic location, defense industry and the Turkish capital’s historical and cultural heritage.

Shared on the alliance’s social media accounts, the video says: “Welcome to Ankara. With 32 NATO leaders set to gather in Türkiye‘s capital this week, get to know the host of the 2026 NATO Summit.”

The video underscores Türkiye‘s strategic position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, highlighting its control of the Turkish Straits linking the Black Sea and the Mediterranean as a key asset for global security, trade and connectivity.

It also showcases Ankara’s historical legacy, noting that the city has been home to numerous ancient Anatolian civilizations and today hosts prominent museums, leading universities and Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

The video says Ataturk chose Ankara as the capital of the Republic of Türkiye because of its central and strategic location.

Highlighting Ankara’s famous simit, the video adds that the capital is “much more than iconic street food and remarkable history,” describing it as “home to Türkiye’s largest defense industry companies and serves as a major hub for military engineering and advanced technology.”

The alliance also notes that Türkiye has been a NATO member since 1952, has played an active role within the alliance and fields NATO’s second-largest military.

It also highlights Türkiye’s contributions to NATO’s collective defense, featuring footage of Ankara Castle, Anitkabir, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, the Presidential Complex, the Bosphorus and the country’s defense industry.