President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday marked the 102nd anniversary of Victory Day, which celebrates the defeat of occupying Greek armies at the hands of Turks in the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922 and helped create the modern Turkish republic.
“On this important day, one of the critical milestones in our history, I congratulate the Aug. 30 Victory Day of our beloved nation, our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters, and our millions of citizens all over the world. I extend my most heartfelt gratitude to our guests at our missions abroad who share our joy on the Victory Day,” Erdoğan said in a written statement.
The president emphasized that the Great Victory, which republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk described as “the immortal monument of the Turkish nation’s idea of freedom and independence,” solidified the existence of the nation on Anatolian lands.
The defeat of the occupation forces on Aug. 30 shattered the axis of imperialism and opened the doors to the republic, Erdoğan said.
“With the Great Victory, the Turkish nation once again declared to the whole world that it would not accept occupation, that it would not let shackles be put on its will and that it would never compromise on living independently in its own homeland,” he said.
In his message, Erdoğan also reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to aiding oppressed populations worldwide.
“We are mobilizing all our means and resources to stop the conflicts, oppressions and massacres occurring in different parts of the world, particularly in Gaza,” he said, pledging support to all oppressed people, regardless of their identity or faith.
Allied forces occupied Türkiye after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I (1914-1918).
The Battle of Dumlupınar was a chapter in the Great Offensive, one of the greatest military victories in the history of Türkiye. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) launched the offensive on Aug. 26, 1922, under the leadership of Atatürk, and it ended on Sept. 18 that year.
On May 15, 1919, the Greek army landed in the western province of Izmir, triggering what would become a full-fledged uprising and campaign against the rule of occupying forces in the country.
Turks formed the National Forces (Kuvayi Milliye) as a means of armed resistance against the invaders. They knew there were only two possible choices: surrender to the occupation forces or fight against them.
The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) was established in Ankara in 1920, as the occupiers focused their repressive policies on Atatürk and his colleagues and the Turkish military moved to the western front.
The following year, Turkish soldiers repelled Greek forces that advanced within 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) of the new Parliament. After roughly one year of preparation, Commander-in-Chief Atatürk launched the Great Offensive on Aug. 26, 1922, to expel the enemy.
Moving further west, he commanded the battle with top commanders Fevzi Çakmak and Ismet Inönü.
At dawn, the offensive began with artillery fire, and Turkish soldiers pushing forward seized Tınaztepe, Belentepe and Kalecik Sivrisi near the town of Afyonkarahisar, which the Turkish army claimed on Aug. 27.
On the night of Aug. 29, the commanders assessed the situation and agreed to act immediately and conclude the attack quickly.
Atatürk ordered the Turkish forces to move on to western Kütahya on Aug. 30, which was a decisive blow to the Greek troops in Anatolia. Following the victory, Atatürk, Çakmak and Inönü set off to sweep the remaining Greek soldiers out of Anatolia in an offensive on the city of Izmir on the Aegean coast.
“Armies, your first goal is the Mediterranean. Forward!” Atatürk said as he ordered the army to move out from western Kütahya on Sept. 1.
On Aug. 27, the Turks liberated Afyonkarahisar from the Greeks before taking Kütahya on Aug. 30 and Izmir on Sept. 9.
By the end of 1922, all foreign forces had left the territories, which would collectively become the new Republic of Türkiye one year later.
