Türkiye commemorates its 103rd Victory Day, marking the turning-point victory at the Battle of Dumlupinar in 1922 against invading Greek armies.
Under the leadership of the Turkish Republic's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the military campaign, which was part of the Great Offensive, launched on August 26, 1922, sealed Türkiye’s independence and finalised on September 18 that same year.
Historians emphasise that the triumph, commanded by Ataturk, proclaimed Türkiye’s resolve for self-rule and its enduring presence in Anatolia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also marked the Victory Day of the Turkish nation, saying that it is not only a military victory but also “marks the resurrection of our nation, its struggle for existence, and its eternal independence.”
“Our duty today is to carry the torch of independence, lit on August 30th, toward a stronger future in unity and solidarity,” Erdogan said on Saturday.
Turkish Historical Society chief Yuksel Ozgen likened the victory to Manzikert in 1071, calling it a declaration that the Turkish nation would remain rooted in the Anatolian land.
“Just as the Battle of Manzikert opened the doors of this region and gave us the chance to build a new horizon and a new civilization, so too did the Great Offensive and the August 30 victory declare to the world that the Turks are here to stay in Anatolia, that we will remain, and that this permanence will endure forever,” Ozgen said.
“[…] the Great Offensive tore the cloth that the imperialist powers wanted to dress the Turks in. It was a blow dealt to the mindset that wanted to send the Turks first from Europe and then from Anatolia to Central Asia.”
Ending the occupation
Following the Ottoman Empire’s defeat in World War I, the Entente Powers occupied vast territories of the country, sparking a determined resistance known as the War of Independence.
Under Ataturk’s leadership, Turkish soldiers dismantled foreign control across Anatolia.
The decisive encounter at Dumlupinar in western Kutahya province on August 30, 1922, crushed Greek divisions, turning the Greco-Turkish conflict irreversibly in Türkiye’s favour.
By late 1922, foreign troops had withdrawn, paving the way for the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye the following year.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, joined by senior ministers and generals, is expected to place a ceremonial wreath at Ataturk’s mausoleum, Anitkabir, in the capital Ankara.
