İzmir celebrates 104 years since liberation

İZMİR

Izmir celebrates the 104th anniversary of its liberation. (AA Photo)

The western province of İzmir marked the 104th anniversary of its liberation from occupation on Sept. 9 with a series of ceremonies and festivities, drawing citizens from across the city.

The commemorations began in the early hours with a large-scale march, featuring a 350-meter-long Turkish flag carried through the streets. Residents gathered along the route, waving national flags as the city came together to mark the historic anniversary.

The celebrations were attended by senior political figures, district mayors, representatives of political parties and leaders of various civil society organizations.

İzmir Mayor Cemil Tugay, Governor Süleyman Elban and Aegean Army and Garrison Commander Gen. Zorlu Topaloğlu paid tribute to the founder of modern Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, by laying a wreath at his monument.

Addressing the crowd, Tugay said İzmir’s history was inseparable from Türkiye’s struggle for independence.

“İzmir is the name of that great struggle, from the first shot fired to victory and the pursuit of a fully independent Türkiye. İzmir is the city of liberation, the city of foundation and the city of the Republic,” Tugay said.

“On the 104th anniversary of our liberation, we are once again standing side by side, gathered in the squares with our flags in our hands and carrying that same immense sense of pride,” he added.

Tugay described Sept. 9 as a symbol of a nation’s determination to live under its own flag and on its own homeland after years of suffering, struggle and longing.

“On the 104th anniversary of our liberation, we once again share that pride and keep that determination alive together, beneath the same sky and under the crescent-and-starred flag,” he said.

The liberation of İzmir on Sept. 9, 1922, represented a decisive turning point in the Turkish War of Independence and brought the years-long occupation of western Anatolia to an end. The withdrawal of
Greek forces followed their defeat in a series of battles as Turkish troops advanced westward.

Türkiye’s commemorations of the final phase of the independence struggle have been continuing for more than two weeks, beginning with the Battle of Dumlupınar on Aug. 26, 1922, which took place across several provinces in western Türkiye.

The conclusion of the battle on Aug. 30 is commemorated annually as Victory Day, a national holiday in Türkiye.

The Turkish offensive that followed Dumlupınar rapidly pushed Greek forces out of western Anatolia. Turkish troops entered İzmir on Sept. 9, with the final Greek forces subsequently leaving Turkish territory.

Afyonkarahisar, one of the key fronts of the War of Independence, has likewise hosted a weeklong program of ceremonies and events commemorating the anniversary.

The Turkish War of Independence began after Allied forces occupied parts of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I. The ensuing national struggle, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, ultimately resulted in the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye in 1923.