Excitement is in the air as nationwide preparations are underway for Victory Day, annually celebrated on Aug. 30, in Türkiye.
Formally known as Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day, it is the centenary of the resounding defeat of the occupying Greek army at the hands of Turks in the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other dignitaries are expected to attend a series of ceremonies, likely starting with a visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk is the founding father of the Republic of Türkiye, who carried the fledgling country to victory as a military commander during the War of Independence after the Ottoman Empire's collapse.
Elsewhere, the day is broadly observed by a series of events, from concerts to wreath-laying ceremonies at monuments dedicated to Atatürk and fallen soldiers.
Last year’s celebrations were particularly lively, as it was the centenary of the Turkish republic and a special anthem was composed to mark the occasion.
The Battle of Dumlupınar was a chapter in the Great Offensive, one of the greatest military victories in the history of Türkiye. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) launched the offensive on Aug. 26, 1922, under the leadership of Atatürk, and ended on Sept. 18 that year.
On May 15, 1919, the Greek army landed in the western province of Izmir, triggering what would become a full-fledged uprising and campaign against the rule of occupying forces in the country.
Turks formed the National Forces (Kuvayi Milliye) as a means of armed resistance against the invaders. They knew there were only two possible choices: Surrender to the occupation forces or fight against them.
The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) was established in Ankara in 1920, as the occupiers focused their repressive policies on Atatürk and his colleagues and the Turkish military moved to the western front. The following year, Turkish soldiers would repel Greek forces that advanced within 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) of the new parliament. After roughly one year of preparation, Commander-in-Chief Atatürk launched the Great Offensive on Aug. 26, 1922, to expel the enemy.
Moving further west, he commanded the battle with top commanders Fevzi Çakmak and Ismet Inönü.
At dawn, the offensive began with artillery fire, and Turkish soldiers pushing forward seized Tınaztepe, Belentepe and Kalecik Sivrisi near the town Afyonkarahisar, which the Turkish army claimed on Aug. 27. On the night of Aug. 29, the commanders made a situation assessment and agreed to act immediately and conclude the attack in a short time.
Atatürk ordered the Turkish forces to move on to western Kütahya on Aug. 30, which was a decisive blow to the Greek troops in Anatolia. Following the victory, Atatürk, Çakmak and Inönü set to sweep the remaining Greek soldiers out of Anatolia in an offensive on the city of Izmir on the Aegean coast.
"Armies, your first goal is the Mediterranean. Forward!" Atatürk ordered the army, which would move out from western Kütahya on Sept. 1. On Aug. 27, the Turks liberated Afyonkarahisar from the Greeks before taking Kütahya on Aug. 30 and Izmir on Sept. 9.
Victory Day, first celebrated in 1926, is traditionally observed on the last day of August, a month associated with landmark Turkish victories.
On Aug. 26, 1071, the Seljuk army, outnumbered by Byzantine soldiers, won the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt), paving the way for permanent Turkish rule in present-day Türkiye. On Aug. 11, 1473, the Ottoman army won the Battle of Otlukbeli, which pitted them against the Aq Qoyunlu (Akkoyunlu) who ruled Iran back then.
The battle fought by two great Turkic powers of the time helped the Ottomans to stave off threats from the east and focus on their campaign in Europe. The Battle of Çaldıran, fought 40 years after Otlukbeli, on Aug. 23, also ended with an Ottoman victory against Safavid forces.
The Ottomans strengthened their regional rule with the Battle of Marj Dabiq (Mercidabık) on Aug. 24, 1516. Defeating the Mamluk Sultanate, they took control of Syria and nearby regions.
On Aug. 29, 1526, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I, better known as Suleiman the Magnificent, brought another victory for the Ottomans at the Battle of Mohacs (Mohaç), which led to the partition of Hungary and boosted the Ottoman Empire's standing in the world as a force to reckon with.
Also in August, the Ottomans conquered Cyprus, the largest island in the Eastern Mediterranean, in 1571.
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Turkish forces continued their victories, this time paving the way for the future Republic of Türkiye with the Battle of Sakarya. Starting on Aug. 23, 1921, the four-day battle ended with Turkish troops clearing the Greek presence from the inner parts of Türkiye.