On 29 October 1923 Mustafa Kemal officially declared the Republic of Turkey, and was elected as the country’s first president. In this treaty the current borders of Turkey were established. The Ottoman Empire, which was in power for almost 600 years, was on the losing side of World War I. I will provide some background on the historic day. Its the day of the great and final victory of national Turkish forces over Greek invaders in 1922. A few months later, the Pact of Sèvres was replaced by the more forbearing Treaty of Lausanne. INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey - Victory Day is a Turkish national holiday thats celebrated Aug. The Battle of Dumlupınar is seen as the last fight in the War of Independence, and therefore Augis named Victory Day. The Greek defense broke completely and the Turks marched all the way to Smyrna (Izmir). On 30 August 1922 the Turkish revolutionary army defeated the Greek troups in the Battle of Dumlupınar. The Turks on the other hand were determined to defend their soil to the bitter end. But the Greek soldiers were morally weak after the long war and the long time away from their homes. Both parties had won and lost battles and at that specific moment there was actually no prospect of a quick ending of the conflict.Īll though the Greek army was stronger in numbers, the Turks had the advantage of more heavy artillery and talented cavalry. By that time, both the Turks and the Greek suffered already a lot from the lengthy war. The battle of Dumlupınar started on 26 August 1922. This happened after the Battle of Dumlupınar near Afyon.
Battle of DumlupınarĪfter a progression of heavy wars, the triumph at last was for the Turks. On Atatürk landed in Samsun near the Black Sea which is seen as the start of the Turkish War of Independence. On the Greek army occupied Smyrna (today’s Izmir). He told them to resist the sultan and the foreign occupants.
The charismatic and highly intelligent Mustafa Kemal succeeded in motivating the Turkish army and the Turkish people. But some determined army generals, under whom Mustafa Kemal, did not. In this treaty the Ottoman Empire was divided among the allied countries. This pact was signed on 10 August 1920 after 15 months were spend to draw it up. England, France, Italy, Greece) took control by forcing a tight peace treaty on the Ottoman Empire: the Treaty of Sèvres. So after losing the war, the winning countries (eg. It was under the absolute reign of the sultan.ĭuring the war, the Ottoman Empire fought on the side of Germany. Victory Day and Turkish Armed Forces Day is a national holiday that is celebrated in Turkey on August 30. A victory that is seen as the triumph that ended the War of Independence.īefore we can explain the importance of 30 August, a little background information is needed. Every August 30th is Victory Day in Turkey, although the holiday is also known as Armed Forces Day. Here, in this place near Afyon, the Turkish revolutionary army, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, defeated the Greek troupes. On this day the Turks commemorate the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922. It is known as Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı). The day also honours the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.30 August is an important date for the Turks. Victory Day was first celebrated in only a few cities in Turkey – such as Ankara, Izmir and Afyonkarahisar – on August 30, 1923. The outcome of the battle, which took place in Kütahya province in western Turkey, determined the overall outcome of the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923).Īlthough foreign forces left the country for good in the autumn of 1922, Turkish people accept August 30 as the date of the Turkish troops’ overall victory. Victory Day commemorates the Turkish victory over Greek forces in the Battle of Dumlupınar (August 26-30, 1922).