President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on August 30 issued a message marking the 104th anniversary of Victory Day, commemorating the decisive victory in Türkiye’s War of Independence. (AA Photo)
Türkiye observed the 104th anniversary of its historic 1922 Victory Day on Aug. 30, marked by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Anıtkabir, widespread public celebrations and a naval parade on the Bosphorus.
The nationwide celebrations commenced in the capital Ankara, where Erdoğan led top government officials, military commanders and political party leaders to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Erdoğan laid a wreath at the mausoleum and stood in silence to pay tribute before signing the official memorial book. In his message, Erdoğan paid tribute to Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms while expressing Türkiye’s determination to grow stronger in every field.
Following the state ceremonies in the capital, the focus shifted to the seas, where the Defense Ministry coordinated a sweeping maritime display. It deployed 15 naval vessels to transit the strait while 30 ships docked at 30 ports nationwide for public visits.
The Bosphorus procession passed landmarks starting from Rumeli Feneri at 9:30 a.m., reaching the Maiden’s Tower by 11:06 a.m. Concurrently, the Victory Cup yacht race took place on the waterway.
At the Istanbul Aviation Museum, the Air Force SOLOTÜRK team drew massive crowds for a meet-and-greet event before their flight. Pilots Lt. Col. Murat Bakıcı, Lt. Col. Erhan Aydemir, Capt. Ş. Alper Şen and Master Sgt. Muhammed Bölükbaşı signed merchandise for aviation enthusiasts. The pilots hosted 11-year-old cancer patient İkra Acar and gifted her team apparel.
Acar expressed her excitement over the meeting. Her medical treatment has lasted over a year.
“I want to be like them when I grow up,” she said.
Bakıcı said Acar is a warrior and already a fighter pilot.
“We hope she will overcome this illness and become a soldier in the future,” he said.
Aydemir invited citizens to the performances. The team feels immense pride representing the Turkish Armed Forces, he said.
In the northwestern province of Çanakkale, a Coast Guard dive team and civilian experts, including underwater documentary producer Tahsin Ceylan, plunged into the Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park. The divers navigated World War I wrecks and unfurled a Turkish flag featuring modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s portrait underwater.
Historical artifacts took center stage during the celebrations. A 106-year-old sewing machine used to tailor uniforms for soldiers during the War of Independence went on display at a Türkiye Diyanet Foundation cafe. Meanwhile, 15 women in the western province of Manisa knitted a 1.5-by-2.25-meter Turkish flag using 3 kilograms of yarn over 10 days. The flag features 1,813 motifs.
The Defense Ministry opened military heritage sites free of charge. This granted public access to the Ankara Air Force, Çanakkale Naval, Hatay Naval, Istanbul Naval, Istanbul Air Force, İzmir Museum Ships, İzmit Museum Ships, Mersin Naval and Zonguldak Ereğli Naval museums.
Victory Day commemorates the decisive defeat of occupying Greek forces at the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922. The Great Offensive, launched on Aug. 26 under Atatürk’s command, culminated in the Aug. 30 victory and paved the way for the republic’s foundation. The day has been officially celebrated across the nation and Turkish Cyprus since 1926.
