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Every year, as we bid farewell to summer, we also open our eyes to one of the most meaningful days of the year: August 30th. This date marks the anniversary of that blessed day when independence was won and freedom blossomed in Turkish lands.

Victory Day continues to be celebrated with great pride every year across our country. Our star-and-crescent flag waving in the eternal skies symbolizes the immortality of this victory, while the pride we feel in our hearts re-energizes our will to independence. Let's take a closer look at the achievements of Victory Day, August 30th, to which we, the Turkish nation, owe our existence and our future.

How Did the Blessed Victory Begin?

Celebrated as "Victory Day" since 1926, August 30th is the most significant symbol of a nation's rebirth from its ashes. This great victory was won after a long and arduous struggle. 

The War of Independence, in which everyone from all ages sacrificed their entire material and spiritual existence, began with Mustafa Kemal Pasha's arrival in Samsun. The Battle of the Commander-in-Chief, the final phase of the War of Independence, was a historic turning point in Anatolia, laying the foundations for a new state.

In the final and most critical phase of the War of Independence, the primary task was to liberate the homeland from Greek occupation. The Battle of the Commander-in-Chief, personally commanded by Mustafa Kemal Pasha, resulted in the victory of the Turkish army on August 30, 1922, following a strong resistance. Four years later, this date became a holiday that is celebrated annually for our nation.

Mustafa Kemal's famous, memorable order, "Armies, your first objective is the Mediterranean, forward!" was given immediately after this victory with the aim of driving the Greek troops westward and liberating İzmir and its surrounding areas.

The Significance of Victory Day, August 30

Following the great victory, the foundations were laid for the agreements that would change the fate of the Turkish nation, and the independent Republic of Turkey was gradually brought closer. With the Armistice of Mudanya, signed on October 11, 1922, Eastern Thrace was seized from Greek troops without any fighting. However, peace could not be achieved simply by silencing the guns. Türkiye's independence also needed to be recognized diplomatically.

On July 24, 1923, a brand-new era began for Turkey. The Treaty of Lausanne, which internationally recognized our independence, was signed. The harsh conditions imposed by the Treaty of Sèvres were lifted and the great struggle waged on the battlefields was rewarded at the diplomatic table. The years-long occupation ended thanks to the unity and solidarity that was demonstrated by the people of Anatolia, along with the resolve of the Turkish army.

It is precisely for this reason that, every August 30th for 99 years, we proudly celebrate this glorious day, which has become a symbol of the great struggle for independence and the national will, embarked on this path with the belief that "Either independence or death."

The Same Route Every Year: The Victory March

Every year, on the night of August 25th, Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s historic march to Kocatepe, accompanied by his commanders, is re-enacted by thousands. These areas, where the Great Offensive took place, were designated as the "Victory Road" in 2005, thus protecting them as a national heritage site.

Organized by the Afyonkarahisar Governor's Office, this march, covering the 14-kilometer war route, is open to everyone, young and old, who come bearing the Turkish flag. This path, once walked day and night, back to back, is now once again traversed with Turkish flags waving. These paths, taken for victory, remind us once again of our eternal gratitude to our history.

Our Heads Held High, Our Path Bright!

If we can look to the future with hope today, it is thanks to the struggle that Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his comrades-in-arms waged against enemy troops at the cost of their lives exactly 103 years ago. Victory Day, August 30th, which we celebrate with pride every year and which makes us say, "We are so glad!", is far more than a military victory for us. Our glorious victory, which declared to the world that the occupied Anatolian lands would never be abandoned, gave us both a victory and the independent Republic of Turkey. Had this victory not been won, we might never have had the chance to determine our own destiny in our own homeland.

This struggle, in which the army and the people joined hands, undoubtedly gave us, the Turks, a profound sense of national unity and solidarity. This resistance that we had demonstrated years ago is still cited today as a significant demonstration of the unwavering solidarity of the Turkish nation.

If we can freely express our thoughts and live freely under our star and crescent flag, it is a gift from Victory Day. Because August 30th has never been and will never be, merely a page on the calendar for the Turkish nation!

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