ANKARA 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Sunday marked the 96th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey.

"Retweet to join us in celebrating our Ally Turkey on Republic Day," NATO wrote on Twitter, with the hashtags "Republic Day" and "We are NATO".

NATO also shared a video, telling the story of a diver in Turkish navy, who took part in one of NATO's major underwater rescue exercises.

Turkey, a member NATO since 1952, has been among the countries that has contributed the most to the alliance as its second largest army.

NATO was founded on April 4, 1949 and has 29 members, with its headquarters in Brussels.