Erdoğan vows to protect Türkiye, uphold national goals

ANKARA

AA Photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged to safeguard every inch of Türkiye’s territory “whatever the cost” and to work with full determination to achieve the country’s goals.

In a message posted on social media on Sept. 13 to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the historic battle, Erdoğan said the Turkish nation demonstrated through the Sakarya campaign the scale of the struggle it was prepared to wage for its freedom and independence.

“One of the greatest victories in the Turkish nation’s centuries-old struggle for independence, the Battle of Sakarya demonstrated just how great a struggle this nation would undertake for its freedom and independence,” Erdoğan said.

The Battle of Sakarya, fought between Turkish and Greek forces from Aug. 23 to Sept. 13, 1921, was a decisive engagement in the Turkish War of Independence. The battle took place along the Sakarya River, roughly 80 kilometers west of Ankara, and ended in a Turkish victory.

The battle is regarded as a decisive turning point in the Turkish War of Independence and is widely seen as the battle that halted the Turkish army’s long retreat, which had continued for 238 years following the Ottoman defeat at Vienna in 1683.

Erdoğan said Türkiye will draw strength and determination from its history of military victories and the rich civilization inherited from previous generations.

“Drawing strength and determination from the glorious victories of our past and the rich civilization bequeathed to us by our ancestors, we will ensure that our state endures forever and protect every inch of our homeland, whatever the cost,” he said.

He also pledged to safeguard the Turkish nation’s rights and work with all its strength to accomplish the country’s objectives.

Erdoğan highlighted the unity the Turkish people demonstrated during the battle despite severe hardship and deprivation, saying the victory had earned a place in the history of warfare.

“Even under the most difficult circumstances and amid profound deprivation, the Turkish nation demonstrated to the entire world that it could stand united and together. Through the struggle it waged at
Sakarya, our nation achieved a victory that would go down in the annals of world military history,” Erdoğan said.

His remarks came after Erdoğan also marked the anniversary of the 1980 military coup, saying that Türkiye’s path of development and political stability will not be derailed again.

Erdoğan characterized the coup as a deliberate attempt to undermine Türkiye’s future, stressing that the hardships and injustices suffered by the Turkish people during the period must remain a lasting reminder.

Erdoğan said the country would not allow its progress to be disrupted by military intervention again, underscoring his government’s commitment to preserving Türkiye’s political stability and pursuing its development goals.