The Road to Victory on the 100th Anniversary of the Great Offensive and August 30 Victory Day

With the "Great Offensive and the Battle of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief", the lands that were under imperialist occupation in 1918-1922 were turned into the "Homeland" we live in today. The Turkish army achieved the first success in the Battle of Sakarya and after this turning point in history, it was decided to expel the Greek army and other occupying forces from these lands. The Great Offensive was an exemplary operation that engraved the high power and heroism of the Turkish Army, Turkish officers and Turkish soldiers in history.

Before the Great Offensive, the opponents in the parliament said; "Why does the army not attack even though months have passed after the Battle of Sakarya? It must attack no matter what. Where are we going? Who is dragging us where? Into darkness. Can a huge nation be mindlessly dragged into uncertain darkness?" They blamed Atatürk for the lack of an offensive. On March 4, 1922, before leaving Ankara to inspect the front, Commander-in-Chief Atatürk responded to the criticisms of the opposition in the secret session of the parliament; he explained that the army's decision was to attack, but this attack was deliberately delayed because more time was needed to complete the preparations. "An attack with half preparations and half precautions is much worse than no attack at all." He said that at this critical stage, one should act with reason, not with emotions and passions. He stated that it was necessary to "equip the thinking minds of Turkey with a new faith" in order to save the country from the hands of cowardly and powerless rulers who were leading the country to destruction. The decision to be made to attack the enemy; "I want to see that the preparation of exactly three tools is adequate. The first, the most important and the most fundamental one is directly the nation itself. It is the soundness of the wishes and wishes that emerge and develop in the heart and conscience of the nation for its existence and independence. The second instrument is the determination and valor of the parliament, which represents the nation, to express the national will and to implement its requirements with conviction. The more the parliament expresses the national will in solidarity and unity, the more powerful an instrument of superiority we will have against the enemy. The third instrument is our army, which is composed of the armed sons of the nation and which has been raised against the enemy."

He stated that these three tools and forces should be formed against the enemy. The secret of the Great Victory is to prepare the nation, the parliament and the army well and to keep the internal front intact. Therefore, within the scope of the strategy of preparing the nation, the parliament and the army, he opened the parliament before establishing the regular army and conducted the War of Independence with the parliament from the beginning to the end.

While the preparations for the Great Offensive were underway, the extension of the Commandership-in-Chief for the third time came to the agenda of the parliament on May 5, 1922, but it was not accepted due to the pressure of the opposition deputies in the voting held during the negotiations, which Atatürk did not attend because he was unwell. Upon these developments, the members of the Council of Ministers, the Chief of General Staff and the Minister of National Defense wanted to resign, but their resignation was prevented by Atatürk's intervention. On May 6, 1922, in the secret session of the parliament, he responded to the criticism by saying: "I would have liked to immediately resign from the command according to the votes in the parliament. I immediately informed the government that my command as Commander-in-Chief had ended. But I was faced with the necessity of not causing an unavoidable evil. Our army, which was in the face of the enemy, could not be left without a head. For this reason, I did not leave, I will not leave and I will not leave." and left the parliament. The Commander-in-Chief Law was extended for the third time with 177 votes against 11 rejections and 15 abstentions.

Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said about the decision of the Great Offensive: "In reality, our army was about to complete its needs and deficiencies. I had already decided to attack in mid-June. The Front Commander, the Chief of General Staff and the Deputy Minister of National Defense were the only ones who were aware of my decision." On June 13, 1922, he came to Adapazarı to meet and meet his mother Zübeyde Hanim. Before setting off, he met with Fevzi Çakmak, the Chief of General Staff in Ankara, and with Kazım Özalp, the Deputy Minister of National Defense, and İsmet İnönü, the Commander of the Western Front, at Sarıköy Station. It was stated that the "Great Offensive", which was a fight for the existence of the Turkish nation, should be carried out in great secrecy. On June 16, 1922, it was decided that the preparations for the "Great Offensive" would be completed with great care and secrecy and that the decision to launch the offensive would be made at the end of August, provided that it remained top secret.

Upon this decision, Turkish troops on the northern and southern fronts of the Western Front were shifted to the Kocatepe region. The Assault Plan was based on the principle of attacking the right wing of the Greek army and destroying the enemy by advancing from south to north. Atatürk explained the offensive plan in his Nutuk: "The situation we deemed appropriate for this was to gather our main forces in the south of the enemy's right wing group near Afyonkarahisar and in the area opposite Akarçay and Dumlupınar. This was the most vital and important point of the enemy. A quick and decisive result could only be achieved by hitting the enemy on this flank." The "Great Offensive", in which the greatest and most glorious victory of our history was won, constituted a secret, risky, but very effective operation called the "Sad Plan", which Commander-in-Chief Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk thought and planned to expel the enemy from Anatolia. The main purpose; After a decisive battle against the occupying forces of the Turkish army, it constituted the last phase and the summit of the War of Independence by completely eliminating the enemy's determination and will to fight. The success of the strategic plan was developed first and foremost in the form of a raid, and the "Battle of Extermination" was aimed with a sudden attack.  

The start of the operation, internal conflicts and indecisions about the offensive were overcome with the leadership and determination of Atatürk, who was given the authority of Commander-in-Chief for the 4th time by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on July 20, 1922. On that day in the parliament; "Now the moral and material power of our army has reached a level that will realize the national goal with full confidence without the need to resort to any extraordinary measures. Therefore, there is no need for the continuation of extraordinary powers." After this speech, Atatürk was given the authority of Commander-in-Chief indefinitely by the parliament. Commander-in-Chief Atatürk planned to meet with the commanders to inspect the front for the last time, to see the offensive preparations in place and to discuss the offensive plan. On July 24, he informed the government that he would leave Ankara on the pretext of meeting with British General Townshend. Step by step approaching the start of the Great Offensive, he left Ankara on the evening of July 23, 1922 for British General Townshend, who wanted to meet with him, and came to Akşehir, where the Western Front Headquarters was located. On July 24, 1922, he went from Akşehir to Konya and met with General Townshend as planned and returned to Akşehir on July 27. Meanwhile, Fevzi Pasha, the Chief of General Staff, arrived in Akşehir on July 25, 1922.

On the night of July 27/28, a meeting was held with the participation of Commander-in-Chief Atatürk, Western Front İsmet Pasha and Chief of General Staff Fevzi Pasha regarding the attack plan and it was decided to complete the preparations until August 15. On Friday, July 28, the Army and Corps commanders were summoned to Akşehir on the pretext of watching the inter-army football tournament in order to hide the meeting of the General Staff to be held at 18.00 in the afternoon. Football was used to hide the most important decision of the life and death war from the enemy. This match became the most important match not only in Turkish sports history, but also in Turkish history and the century. Turgut Özakman; "Army and corps commanders, close troops were called to watch this beautiful match. In the afternoon, they arrived at the field where the match would take place. The first row of the tribune was reserved for Mustafa Kemal Pasha, Fevzi Pasha, İsmet Pasha, Yakup Şevki Pasha, Nurettin Pasha and Fahrettin Pasha. Most of the Pashas were going to watch a football match for the first time. In the 2nd row sat Colonel Asım Gündüz, Chief of Staff of the Front, Colonel İzzettin, Commander of the I Corps, Colonel Kemalettin Sami, Commander of the 4th Corps, and senior officers of the front, army and corps. The match ended 2-2." The match ended in a draw, but the Turkish nation was the winner.

On the night of July 28/29, 1922, the commanders' meeting, which started at 21:00 at the Western Front Headquarters under the chairmanship of Commander-in-Chief Atatürk, lasted until the morning, and the details of the final preparations and operation plans were discussed and their opinions were taken. In his memoirs, İsmet İnönü describes Yakup Şevki Pasha, who made the harshest criticism of the offensive plan: "Yakup Şevki found the plan very dangerous and said that if we did not succeed, the fate would be very bad."  Yakup Şevki Pasha objected to the plan; "Don't do it! This is all the Turkish nation has. Its soldiers, cannon, rifle, ammunition, this is all it has. How can you spend it for a single possibility?" Atatürk; "Is this all the Turkish nation can give?" To Yakup Şevki Pasha's yes, Atatürk said; "Then we are obliged to get the final result with this".  However, Yakup Şevki Pasha said; "Those who decide this will be under great guilt against history". Atatürk said; "Do not be afraid, Pasha! All responsibility towards history and the nation belongs to me." He took all the responsibility upon himself and ended the debate. In his Nutuk, Atatürk said; "On July 28, 1922, army commanders and some corps commanders were summoned to Akşehir to see a football match in the afternoon. On the night of July 28/29, I discussed the general offensive with the commanders." The final form of the offensive plan was discussed with the Corps Commanders.

On July 30, Commander-in-Chief Atatürk, Chief of General Staff Fevzi Çakmak and Western Front Commander İsmet İnönü determined the time of the offensive by determining the method and details of the offensive. On August 1, 1922, Minister of National Defense Kazım Özalp Pasha, who came to Akşehir, was interviewed and on August 4, the decision of the operation was announced to the government. On August 6, 1922, İsmet İnönü, the Commander of the Western Front, secretly ordered his armies to prepare for the offensive. The most important offensive plan in Turkish history began to be implemented 100 years ago on the night of August 14/15, 1922 and the armies were moved to the front for the great offensive. In order to keep the massing and preparations of the forces secret, the movement of the armies to the front was carried out with great silence at night, no more columns and weights than normal were shown on the roads during the day, air cover was given importance, the troops were organized to rest in villages and under trees during the day, and enemy reconnaissance planes were prevented from seeing the operational units. The relocation of the armies was planned to be carried out secretly and gradually from the evening of August 14 until the morning of August 16. In the most important offensive in Turkish history, the Turkish army began to take its place at the front in great secrecy.

In order to complete the preparations for the Great Offensive, Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk set out from Ankara on the night of August 17/18, taking all kinds of secret measures, and traveled by automobile to Konya via the Salt Desert. It was announced to the newspapers that a tea party was organized in Çankaya on August 21 in order to hide from the British secret service. On August 20, 1922, in the Hâkimiyeti Milliye newspaper, in the news article titled "Tea Ziyafeti", it was reported as follows: "The Leader of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Commander-in-Chief Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha will give a banquet to the political dignitaries of our city at their mansion in Çankaya at 4 o'clock in the afternoon on Monday, August 21. Ambassadors and dignitaries will be present. The invitations arrived yesterday." Atatürk arrived in Akşehir, the Western Front Headquarters, at 16.00 on August 20, 1922, invited the Commanders of the First and Second Armies to the Front Headquarters on the night of August 20/21, 1922, and explained to the Chief of General Staff and the Front Commander how the offensive would be carried out on the map. It was stated that the offensive would be carried out as a tactical raid. The Front Commander ordered İnönü to launch the offensive on the morning of August 26. Only İsmet İnönü, Fevzi Çakmak and Kazım Özalp were informed about this order. The British only learned about the Great Offensive on August 28, 1922 and therefore the Greeks were taken by surprise. Asım Us describes these events as follows: "Just as Gazi had hidden the talisman of the Great Victory, he was preparing its exercise in the strictest secrecy. He used the football competition as an occasion to gather the commanders, and when he was on his way to Akşehir for the offensive, he pretended that he was having a tea feast in Çankaya."

On August 24, 1922, the command headquarters were moved from Akşehir to the town of Afyon-Şuhut, behind the offensive front, and on the morning of August 25, they were transferred to the Çadırlı Camp southwest of Kocatepe, where the battle would be conducted. On the morning of August 26, the army was ready for action at Kocatepe. Due to the strategic importance of Afyon, it was aimed to capture this region first. On the same day, all communications between Anatolia and the outside world were cut off to ensure secrecy. The Greeks expected the attack from the Eskişehir region in the north, where the Turks had amassed large stockpiles, but the operation started from Afyon, which dominated the Izmir railroad from the south. At 04.00 on August 26, the Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, İsmet İnönü and Fevzi Çakmak moved on horseback to the observation post at Kocatepe to direct and direct the Great Offensive. After reaching the observation post at 05.00, the road to victory with courage and faith began at 05.30 with Turkish artillery fire. First, the cavalry corps flowed like a raging torrent towards Sincanlı and the Afyon plain, the enemy positions, which were claimed to be impassable in 6 months according to the report of British experts, were captured within a few hours and Afyon was liberated from enemy occupation on August 27.

In the offensive, which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk personally led from Zafertepe between the firing lines, most of the enemy army was surrounded and encircled from 4 sides, and during the 4-day offensive, the Greek forces were dispersed, the main force was destroyed and many soldiers were taken prisoner. By August 30, the Aslıhanlar region was surrounded, and in the evening, Turkish troops liberated Kütahya from enemy occupation. As predicted, the operation resulted in the decisive victory of the Turkish army with the destruction of the enemy troops besieged around Aslıhan within 5 days. The Turkish army wrote one of the greatest epics of heroism in world history. As Turkey gained independence, this great victory became the hope of independence for the exploited nations. Atatürk described the great offensive with the words; "It lasted 5 days and 5 nights in a great field battle between Afyonkarahisar, Altintas and Dumlupinar" and on August 31, while the main forces of the Turkish army were on their way to Izmir, other troops continued their advance to defeat the enemy forces in Eskişehir and north. 

Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Fevzi Çakmak, the Chief of General Staff, and İsmet İnönü, the Commander of the Western Front, came to Zafertepe-Çalköy on August 31 and made an assessment next to a broken cart in the courtyard of a ruined house: "Today's battles have provided the Turkish army with a situation that will win the great war. It is necessary not to allow the scattered troops retreating in the direction of Uşak to regroup. It is conceivable that they will unite with the Eskişehir Corps, which retreated with few casualties, and defend a line near İzmir with new troops they will bring from Greece. For this purpose, it is necessary to capture and defeat the Eskisehir Group and enter Izmir rapidly without stopping with the main forces." On September 1, 1922, near the village of Takmak in the Eşme district of Eşme, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk addressed his armies under an oak tree where he sat with Western Front Commander İsmet İnönü, Chief of Staff Asım Gündüz and headquarters officer Şükrü Ali Bey, pointing to the target on a paper marked "Western Front Command"; "Armies of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. In the great battle of Afyonkarahisar-Dumlupınar, you destroyed the main elements of a cruel and proud army in an unbelievably short time. You are proving that our great and noble nation is worthy of its sacrifices. The Turkish nation, which is our owner, has the right to be sure of its future. I have been closely observing and following your skill and sacrifices on the battlefields and I will carry out my duty successively and continuously to prove our nation's appreciation of you. I request all my friends to advance with the expectation that further battles will be fought in Anatolia and that everyone will continue to show their intellectual power, heroism and patriotism in competition with each other. Armies, your first objective is the Mediterranean. Forward." He dictated his historic order to be issued to the troops that changed the fate of the Turkish nation.

On September 1, Uşak, on September 2, Eskişehir and on September 11, Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, were liberated from enemy occupation. On the evening of September 2, the Commander-in-Chief of the Greek army, General Nikolaos Trikopis, Dighenis and 500 officers and 5 thousand soldiers were captured near Uşak. On September 3, Atatürk said to General Trikopis, "You have done your best as a soldier and an honorable man. The responsibility comes from your bad luck. Do not be sad" and consoled him. Again, when the captured Greek officer learned that he was Field Marshal and Commander-in-Chief; "It is unprecedented for a Commander-in-Chief to be so close to the front line", he said that the essence of the victory was won by fighting on the front line with his soldiers.

The heroic Turkish Army fought for 5 days and 5 nights with courage and faith in its heart to the last drop of its blood despite all odds. As a result of the Great Offensive and the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief on August 26-30, 1922, it reached Izmir one day earlier than the promised date on September 9, 1922 and drove the enemy into the sea. With the liberation of Izmir, Turkish lands were cleared of Greek occupation and the "Great Victory" was achieved. On its 100th Anniversary, the Great Victory was achieved by unexpectedly, unexpectedly, with a finely calculated plan and an overwhelming force that was thought out both strategically and tactically, by loading on a single point and collapsing the enemy forces. The Great Victory was not a victory against Greece, but against Western imperialism and its collaborators. It is a great victory in which thousands of martyrs for the future of the country, in the spirit of national unity and solidarity, lit the torch of freedom and independence to be extinguished forever. This victory showed to the seven hegemons that a nation whose homeland was under occupation showed how to defend its land with determination, faith and determination despite the poverty by paying great prices. It made the lands we live in Anatolia today "Homeland" again, made a nation independent and wrote it in golden letters in history. The Great Victory is the work of patient and determined national resistance. The Great Victory was a total war fought not only by the army at the front, but also by the entire nation.

Atatürk, with the belief that victory was certain, responded to the request of the consuls of the Entente States in Izmir for a meeting, stating that he could meet in Kemalpaşa (Nif) on September 9, 1922; "Indeed, on the day I promised, I was in Kemalpaşa. But those who wanted a meeting were not there. Because our armies had already reached the first target I had given, the Mediterranean, at the Izmir dock". The consuls did not come to the appointment because it took place one day before the date he had predicted. Atatürk describes the Great Victory in his speech as follows: "This operation, which was thought out, prepared, managed and concluded with victory in every phase, is a tremendous work that once again put the high power and heroism of the Turkish army, Turkish officers and commanding committee into history. It is an immortal monument of the Turkish nation's idea of freedom and independence. I am happy and fortunate to be the son of a nation and the commander-in-chief of an army that brought this work into being." The Great Victory is the work of a great mind. The Eternal Commander-in-Chief, who was proud of his army and demonstrated his superior ability in both leadership and command, stated the greatness, importance and meaning of the victory. Falih Rıfkı Atay stated: "Whatever we have, if we have established an independent state, if we have become free citizens, if we walk around like honorable people, if we have liberated our homeland from the clutches of the West and our conscience from the clutches of the East, if we look at these seas as ours, if we feel the warmth of the mother's bosom in these lands, if we can breathe; we owe it all, everything to the Victory of August 30th". Mehmet Akif Ersoy described the greatness of the victory with the words "What a great victory it was". On September 10, 1922, Velid Ebüzziya wrote in Tevhid-i Efkâr: "August 26 is such a tremendous event that no nation in the world has ever been granted such a glorious, such a tremendous, such a refreshing victory in any period of its history". He called it the greatest victory of our history. On September 18, the Greek army left Western Anatolia and Marmara and on October 11, 1922, the Mudanya Armistice Agreement was signed. The "Great Victory" was recognized and registered by the imperialist states and the first diplomatic victory was achieved. The journey that started on May 15, 1919 at the docks of Izmir ended in the same place on September 9, 1922. It is a debt of citizenship to know that we owe it to the August 30 Victory to live in these lands free, free and fully independent with all my achievements.

August 30 Victory Day was celebrated for the first time on August 30, 1924, in Zafertepe, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk led and directed the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief, under the name of "The Victory of the Commander-in-Chief" and in his speech; "On the day our nation took its sovereignty into its hands, it was on the edge of the darkest poverty and the deepest abyss. All its forces were worn out, all means of defense were taken away from it, its sacred assets were attacked, and it was in a very pathetic situation. Ignoring all this, he decided to save his existence and independence. In order to succeed in this decision, the whole nation had to choose a target and an action for itself. That goal was here. The success that is the goal is the victory won here. The August 30 Victory constitutes the most important turning point in Turkish History. I do not remember a battle as decisive as the victory won by the Turkish nation here, a battle that had a decisive effect in giving a new trend not only to our history but also to the history of the world. There should be no doubt that the foundation of the new Turkish State, the Young Republic of Turkey, was solidified here. Its eternal life was crowned here. The Turkish blood flowing in this field, the souls of martyrs flying in this sky are the immortal guardians of our state and republic. The greatest factor of this tremendous victory is that the Turkish nation has unconditionally taken unconditional sovereignty into its own hands." He emphasized the importance of keeping the national spirit alive at the first ceremony and laid the foundation of the "Monument to the Unknown Soldier" together with his wife Latife Hanım. The Great Victory was the most important victory of our history in terms of the conditions under which it was realized, the way it was won and its results.

In the Great Offensive, the Turkish Air Force, with a small number of poorly equipped aircraft, made extraordinary sacrifices and achieved great success against the well-equipped Greek Air Force under very difficult conditions. With a ratio of 100 to 17 aircraft, and with a few broken down and dilapidated aircraft, the brave Turkish pilots created a miracle of broken wings and achieved air superiority. On the morning of August 26, the most obvious proof of the air superiority was the fact that the Turkish planes were waiting in the air over Afyon Square. The Turkish Air Force served honorably in the air campaign, defended the skies of the country bravely and showed great success in achieving the Great Victory. For this reason, in 1925, the Turkish Aeronautical Association accepted the celebration of August 31st as "Aeronautical Day" in Article 35 of its charter. On April 1, 1926, in the Victory Day Law, it was stated that the day of the "Battle of the Commander-in-Chief" on August 30 was the "Victory Day" of the Republican army and that it would be celebrated by the land, naval and air forces on each anniversary. With the decree of the Council of Ministers dated August 25, 1926, it was declared that since August 30 was also a special day of the Turkish Aeronautical Association due to the importance of the Air Force in the defense of the country, it was necessary to act together in the celebrations. Since 1926, "August 30 Victory and Aircraft Day" has been celebrated as the great day of the Turks.

On the 10th anniversary of the Republic, August 30 Victory and Aircraft Day was celebrated more meaningfully, with great enthusiasm and excitement throughout the country. All air squadrons participated in the parade in Ankara, and Soviet Russia, Iran, Iraq and Greece participated with one squadron each. Airplanes and gliders produced at the Kayseri Aircraft Factory performed aerobatic shows. In Cumhuriyet newspaper, Peyami Safa writes: "There is no doubt that the most formidable tool in the new wars is the airplane. Again, there is no doubt that those who laid the foundations of our national defense, starting with Atatürk, İsmet İnönü and Fevzi Çakmak, knew this fact long before those experiences. The timing of the biggest victory festival and the Aircraft Day on the same day is a conscious and calculated move, similar to reminding that victory in future wars will not be possible without airplanes. The Turkish Aeronautical Association will be given an answer as to how much it can defend us if it is given live and material aid." M. Turhan Tan, in Cumhuriyet newspaper; "August 30th Victory Day is also Aircraft Day. It should be celebrated with flights in the air. Victory Day is the blessed epitome of a day that brought us the right to life, the right to freedom, the right to independence. On Victory Day, we see the birth of the new Turkey and the Turkish nation. As we celebrate the Victory Day, let us support the Air Association wholeheartedly and wholeheartedly, and by making maximum savings from our own expenses, let us give it to our airplanes, which will make our air borders impenetrable. Not to be defeated in the sky as well as on the ground is not only our right but also our debt to history with the dignity of being a Turk. We must not forget this debt."

The Turkish Aeronautical Association has once again shown its importance in protecting the "Green Homeland" in which our country lives today. Between 1925 and 1950, the young Republic produced many domestic airplanes with the motto "The Future is in the Skies. Nations that cannot protect their skies can never be sure of their future", the young Republic produced a large number of domestic aircraft. As a result of the abandonment of the domestic aircraft industry since 1950 and the closure of aircraft factories and the failure to maintain the necessary sensitivity, the "Aircraft" section of the August 30 Victory and Aircraft Day was unfortunately deleted from the minds as well as the practices.

"August 30 Victory Day" has a special significance and meaning for the Turkish army that won the victory. In this context; the day on which military schools held their graduation ceremonies, and all officer and non-commissioned officer rank changes were effective from this date. If the August 30 Victory Day is created and the Turkish Army, which is its creation, is strong, then the Republic of Turkey will have a more effective and powerful position in the great inter-state games in the international arena. States whose military power is broken will gradually shrink and will act under the control of imperialist states as colonial administrations, submit to their wishes and may go as far as disintegration. The imperialist states, which want to realize their historical ambitions on the lands where our country is located and to eliminate the nation-state structure, have attempted to liquidate and wear out both the Turkish state and the Turkish army by downsizing them through various maneuvers, especially in recent periods. People who are in conflict with the values of the Republic and the imperialist powers acting in parallel with them have aimed to weaken the values of the Turkish Army and leave the Turkish Armed Forces weak. Because with its national stance, it has created a great obstacle to the ambitions of imperialist states. 

On July 31, 1920, Atatürk explained this goal of the imperialist states to the officers at the Afyon Corps Office; "The nation expects the army, the officers who constitute the soul of the army, to ensure its vital purpose, which consists of the protection of its independence, and this is the sublime duty of the officers. If, God forbid, the independence of the nation is violated, the officers will be held responsible. Independence is necessary for life on earth, for living humanely. In order to have independence, it is necessary to have power and to prove its existence. Power is the army. In order to deprive our nation of its independence, the enemies first tried to deprive it of its army. They tried to take away our weapons, ammunition and all means of defense. Then they started to rape and assault our commanders and officers. They tried to destroy the honor of soldiering. In order to destroy the army, it is absolutely necessary to destroy and humiliate the officers. After that, there will be no obstacles or difficulties in slaughtering the nation like a herd of sheep. The soul of the army is in the officers. Therefore, our officers will repair and revitalize our army, which our enemies want to destroy, and preserve the independence of our army and nation. Because our enemies kill them before anyone else. They humiliate and despise them. Therefore, it is "either independence or death" for the officer. But we will not die, we will live by preserving our independence and we will always be happy to see our nation independent." Having a strong army is vital for the security of the country at all times and under all circumstances.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk; "I am not the one who won this victory. This victory was won by the heroic soldiers who jumped over the wire fences, who died on the battlefield, who were wounded, who threw themselves on the enemy without sparing themselves and opened the Mediterranean Sea to the Turkish bayonets. Unfortunately, it is not possible to write each of their names on the ridges of Kocatepe. But they all have a common name: Turkish soldier, I accept your congratulations on their behalf". The way to be a strong state is to adhere to its founding philosophy without wearing out its army and making it a political tool. A "Strong Army" is inevitable for the Turkish Nation to preserve its existence due to its strategic position, and "Strong Army and Strong State" are complementary elements. If the army is politicized, it becomes weak, the country becomes weak and serves only the ambitions of imperialist states that have interests in the country. Atatürk expressed his confidence in the army with the words "My confidence and trust that we will defeat the enemies who want to enslave our country has not been shaken for a minute".

Happy "August 30 Victory Day", the day when our struggle for independence and liberation was crowned with victory, the foundations of our republic were built, the resistance and resurrection of a nation that wanted to be erased from history rose, and the day that was a source of morale and excitement for all oppressed nations. August 30; It is the holiday celebrated to commemorate the "Great Offensive and the Commander-in-Chief's Battlefield", which started on August 26, 1922 in Afyon-Kocatepe under the command of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and was won by fighting against imperialist states in Dumlupınar on August 30, 1922. Today is a milestone of the road to the establishment of our Republic and the turning point of the National Struggle, where our nation showed its belief, will and determination on the path of freedom and independence to the whole world. It is the day when the Turkish Nation saved its homeland by expelling the enemy forces from the country with the "Kuvayi National Spirit" by putting its life, property, honor, wealth and all its strength against imperialism and its local collaborators. It is a great victory in which the torch of freedom and independence was lit forever in the spirit of national unity and solidarity by giving thousands of martyrs for the future of the country. This victory is the day when a nation, whose homeland was under occupation, showed to the seven heights how to defend its land with determination, faith and determination despite poverty, by paying great prices. It is the day when the greatest heroic epic in the history of the world was written in golden letters, which brought the Turkish nation to independence.

The "August 30 Victory Day", which was achieved as a result of the "Great Victory" won by the Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms on August 30, 1922, 100 years ago, will be celebrated with great honor, pride, happiness, respect and love, enthusiasm, without compromising the existence, unity and complete independence of the Turkish nation, without any obstacles, by experiencing and feeling the meaning, importance and the period. It will understand the Great Victory correctly and protect the "Fully Independent", "Modern", "Secular" Republic of Turkey. I commemorate with mercy, gratitude, respect and gratitude our heroic martyrs of the War of Independence, especially the Eternal Commander-in-Chief Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of our Republic, who brought this victory to the Turkish Nation, and who sacrificed their lives for the indivisible integrity of our country with its nation.

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