The Turks celebrate Victory Day amid tensions with Greece ... Learn about the most prominent battles between the two countries and who won in them

Celebrations of Victory Day and the Armed Forces Day, known as "Al-Zafar", which falls on August 30 every year, kicked off in Turkey on Sunday, and during which the Turks celebrate the victory of their army over the Greek army in 1922.

This year's celebration coincides with the escalation of tension between Turkey and Greece, amid fears of a new war - after 98 years - between the two countries, against the background of Ankara's exploration of energy sources in the eastern Mediterranean marine areas.

Victory
Events The Victory Day activities began with a march towards the tomb of the founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in central Ankara, by an official delegation led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The delegation included Parliament Speaker Mustafa Shantoub, Vice President Fuad Aktay, President of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdarolu, head of the opposition National Movement Party, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the opposition EE Party, Maral Akshner, and a number of officials and military commanders.

During his visit to the Ataturk mausoleum, Erdogan stressed that his country is determined to reach the centenary of the founding of the Turkish Republic in 2023 with greater economic, military, political and diplomatic strength.

All Turkish states witnessed military parades, and Erdogan and leaders of government institutions, parliament, the judiciary, the army and the opposition participated in the protocol activities in Ankara to commemorate the Eid al-Zafar, in a scene that reflects Turkey's stability and regional power after it called for the era of military coups, as officials said.

On Saturday, Erdogan said in a message he published on the occasion of the Victory Day that "it is no coincidence that those seeking to exclude our countries in the Eastern Mediterranean are the same who tried to seize its lands a century ago."

He added, "Ankara's struggle continues to this day, and the Turkish nation will never hesitate to thwart the efforts to impose a new" Sevres "treaty today in the" blue homeland "(territorial waters) just as it achieved independence despite poverty and lack of resources.

Today, the hashtag "30 Ağustos Zafer Bayramımız" (30 August Our Victory Day) topped the list of the most popular in Turkey, as it won a large participation on Twitter and the rest of social media.

The Turkish Army
On this occasion, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Land Forces Command in the city of Izmir congratulated - in a statement - its ally Turkey.

And the Turkish Ministry of Defense published a video clip on the eve of Victory Day, in which it reminded Athens of history and its defeat, and confirmed that "Anatolia will remain for Turkey, which has proven to be strong."

Malazgirt'ten Dumlupınar'a Bitmeyen Destan -4 🇹🇷 # MalazgirtZaferi # BüyükTaarruz pic.twitter.com/4hzRgodHZY

- TC Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) August 29, 2020

The video talked about battles that took place between the regions of "Malazgard" and "Damlupinar", in which Turkey won and took Izmir from the Greeks.

The ministry said in the video that "the Turkish army has proven its strength in the battles of the Spring Shield, in reference to northern Syria, adding that" the army is either winning or martyred in its battles.

The Turkish army celebrated the occasion at a time when it was focusing on protecting the country "in the face of the threats that surround it," and after the dedication of its removal from politics, which began gradually since the AKP came to power in 2002.

The smooth transition of government in Turkey - in light of the great capabilities of the armed forces - highlights the extent of the consecration of civilian rule in the country, which has suffered for more than 5 decades from military coups and the army's intervention in the political process.

The Turkish army had previously carried out several coups, the first of which was in 1960, when it overthrew the elected government and executed its president, Adnan Menderes, then the coup in 1971 against the government of Suleiman Demirel, and the coup in 1980.

The removal of Islamist Necmettin Erbakan from power by the army in 1997 was the last successful coup, as the subsequent failed military coup attempt on 15 July 2016 against President Erdogan's rule.

Historical information
The Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his allies fought the war of liberation and independence of Anatolia, after Greece and the Allied countries occupied most of its parts, and won the war of independence.

It is noteworthy that the coalition forces occupied Turkey after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I (1914-1918), and the Greek campaign began with the encouragement of its Western allies - especially the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George - who promised Greece territorial gains at the expense of the Ottoman Empire, which prompted the Turks Led Ataturk to fight the War of Independence between 1919 and 1922, during which they expelled the invaders from Anatolia.

On August 26, the Turks launched their "great offensive" counterattack, so they controlled all the Greek combat positions and defensive lines that invaded the Ottoman Empire on that date, and were able to liberate the city of Afyon.

On August 30, the Turks managed to inflict a severe defeat on the Greek army in the battle of "Damlupinar" in the western state of Kutahya, where half of the Greek army soldiers were killed, wounded and captured, and most of the combat equipment of the Greek army fell in the hands of the Turkish army, according to Turkish historians.

By the end of 1922, all foreign forces had left the lands that collectively became the new republic of Turkey one year later.

The famous Turkish historian Elber Ortaylie considered Turkey's decisive victory over Greek forces at the Battle of Domlopinar in 1922 - which was later legalized under the Lausanne Agreement (1923) - as a message to the world that "we are here to stay."

Ortayli said that although the Turkish army lacked basic equipment and weapons against the Greek army, it was more experienced in fighting the war.

He added that the Greek commander Ioannis Metaxas refused to launch the attack, and informed the Greek politicians that the war against the Turks could not be won.

Author David Fromkin, in his book Peace to End All Peace, quotes Metaxas as saying at the time that "Turks developed a nationalist sentiment within them."

"The Turks are determined to fight for their freedom and independence," Fromkin said in his book, quoting the Greek leader. "They believe that Central Asia is their country and that we are invaders, and as for their national feelings, the historical rights on which we base our claims have no effect."