President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan marked the 107th anniversary of the Sivas Congress on Sept. 4, describing the gathering as a turning point that united national forces across Anatolia during Türkiye’s War of Independence.
“The Sivas Congress was a historic turning point that enabled national forces operating on different fronts across Anatolia to unite around a common ideal,” Erdoğan said in a message released by the Communications Directorate.
The congress, convened under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s leadership in 1919, brought regional resistance groups together under a national organization.
Erdoğan said the gathering declared to the world that the Turkish nation would never yield to occupying powers and was prepared to stand together in resistance.
“The spirit of national unity and solidarity that prevailed at the Sivas Congress remains our greatest strength today against threats to our nation, flag, homeland and state,” he said.
Erdoğan said the determination shown 107 years ago despite limited resources continued to serve as a source of motivation for the government’s “Century of Türkiye” goals.
He also commemorated Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and others who took part in the national struggle, while extending his greetings to the people of Sivas and citizens across the country.
