The archive has a rich content of documents and records pertaining to the Turkish Military History from 1864 to the present. Besides the historical documents category, it also has documents regarding the Staff, Recruiting, Health, Law, Accounts of Money and Assets.
Relevant Catalogues:
The Archive has the following catalogues regarding the Ottoman Empire and World War I:
Recruiting and Induction Office books regarding the ones born between 1864 and 1910 (Islamic Calendar 1280-1326)
1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War
1897 Greco-Turkish War
1911 Italo-Turkish War
1912-1913 Balkan War
1914-1918 World War I
1919-1922 War of Independence
Application and Examination Procedures:
It is not possible to look into the online catalogues on the website of the Archive situated in Ankara.
Application Conditions:
The researchers shall apply to the Directorate for the Archive of the Ministry of National Defense with a letter indicating clearly the subject and the purpose of their research. The required documents for the researchers whose applications are approved:
6 copies of the identification card certified in the last 3 months
References provided from their institutions regarding the subject and the purpose of their research
6 Employee Data Sheets/Personal and Familial Statement Sheets
4 passport-sized photographs
Researchers under the scope of official institutions and organizations shall bring their references and acquire an official letter provided from their institutions regarding the subject of their research and submit it with their letters to the department of Staff of the Ministry of National Defense. The researchers, to whom the professor title is awarded and who have proven themselves in their fields and the members of Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History, Turkish History Society, Turkish Language Association, Atatürk Research Center and Atatürk Culture Center, are not required to provide references.
Researchers assigned to conduct archive examination on behalf of their official institutions and agencies are not subject to security clearance.
Researchers who want to conduct archive examination on their behalf (for the purposes of academic career) are subject to security clearance.
Foreign researchers who submitted their applications through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to conduct archive examination are subject to security clearance.
Officers and sergeants who are currently on duty and want to conduct archive examination on their behalf are not subject to security clearance.
Researchers who want to conduct only a catalogue search should submit a letter indicating their request to the Department of Staff of the Ministry of National Defense. If their requests are deemed suitable, they may conduct catalogue search.
Under the Decision of the Council of Ministers Dated June 23, 1989 and No. 89/14269, foreign natural or legal persons who want to conduct scientific research within the Directorate for the Archive of the Ministry of National Defense and natural or legal persons who are Turkish citizens and act on their behalf should submit their applications to the Turkish representations abroad and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through their embassies in Turkey.