“Dear Citizens,
Distinguished Guests,
I greet you with my
most heartfelt sentiments, deep affection and respect.
We commemorate with
justified pride, great enthusiasm and excitement the 103rd anniversary of the
Great Victory, one of our brightest epics, which our heroic army and our noble nation
created with a self-sacrificing spirit and embellished with faith, hope and
courage.
On this important day
when we welded our love for independence with our passion for the future and
crowned our horizons with our victory, I wholeheartedly congratulate the great
Turkish nation, the Turkish Cypriot people and each and every one of our over 7
million citizens abroad on August 30 Victory Day.
I would like to truly
thank all our guests who honored our foreign missions with their presence to share
our happiness and sentiments.
The Great Offensive,
which was launched on the most arduous days of our War of Independence to banish
the bloody shadow of occupation and oppression from our country, achieved victory
with the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief on 30 August 1922.
The Great Victory was
the aspiration for honor, freedom and of course dignity of the spirit of
independence of our nation and the destination for long and arduous path to liberation
that we walked on a knife edge.
With this victory,
the occupation forces of the imperialist armies in Anatolia were routed, the heinous
siege was broken, and our nation’s refusal to submit to captivity was echoed
all over the world with a loud voice.
The heroic struggle
of our nation, given by our martyrs and veterans, has once again thwarted the
insidious ambitions of the invaders.
Ghazi Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk said that the three most crucial elements of the August 30 Victory were
our nation, the will of our nation, and our heroic army.
He emphasized that
the most deterrent line of defense they raised against the enemy was the
“internal front” created jointly by the nation and the country.
In these critical
days as we rapidly progress toward the triumphant and auspicious epoch of the
Century of Türkiye, we aim to completely eradicate the dark shadow of terrorism
from our lands, which has tied us down for nearly half a century.
We, each and every
one of 86 million citizens, are working together to build a Türkiye in peace,
prosperity, and well-being for the future.
With our 86 million
citizens united as one, we will reach that blessed destination, where there is
no envy or hostility, and where our hearts are enlightened by stars of peace
and bliss, with Allah’s willing, as a nation.
On the other hand, we
are passing through a dark period in which borders in our region are attempted
to be redrawn with blood, and the most brutal, inhumane massacres of the last
century are committed in our immediate region, particularly in Gaza and
Palestine.
Those who seek
security and prosperity in the blood of the innocent flowing in streams, we
believe, will never reach their goals; they will certainly be held accountable
for their policies of destruction, occupation, and genocide, first before the
law and then before history.
Despite the countless
attacks they have endured for nearly 80 years, our Palestinian brothers and
sisters, who have steadfastly held on to their land, will, God willing,
continue to live in their homeland, where they have lived for centuries, till
the end of time.
Just as we have done
throughout thousands of years of our history, Türkiye will stand firm with the
oppressed against the oppressor today and tomorrow; we will never hesitate to uphold
justice and truth on behalf of all humanity.
Regardless of their
faith, country, or continent, I extend my gratitude to everyone who has not
remained silent before the atrocities in Gaza, even at the cost of paying a
price.
I call upon all those
with a conscience to join forces on the “front for humanity” to establish
lasting peace and stability in our region.
With these thoughts,
I commemorate Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Commander-in-Chief of the Great
Offensive, and his comrades-in-arms with gratitude.
I wish Allah’s mercy on
our noble martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their homeland, their flag,
and the independence and future of our nation.
I remember all our veterans
with respect.
I, once again, greet
you all with love and respect.
Happy August 30
Victory Day.
Recep
Tayyip ERDOĞAN
President
of the Republic of Türkiye”
