Turkish president commemorates centenary of Battle of Sakarya victory

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish president on Monday commemorated the centenary of the victory of the Battle of Sakarya, which took place between Greek and Turkish forces on the banks of the Sakarya River in 1921.

Speaking at the commemorating ceremony, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the 1921 victory was a turning point for the Turks’ millennium of existence in Anatolia.

“The victory in the Battle of Sakarya was crowned a year later with the Aug. 30 victory and reached its final goal when the enemy (Greeks) was pushed into the (Aegean) sea in Izmir on Sept. 9,” he said.

Founder of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk described this battle as a "Melhame-i Kubra" (Armageddon), Erdogan said.

“The story of the Battle of Sakarya once again reminds us the sacrifices that were made for our independence which we should never forget,” he added.

Erdogan also noted: “The Republic of Turkey will reach the destination in the same way that we've reached these days, by overcoming many obstacles outside and inside.”

“The will of the nation is above any kind of social engineering, any terrorist organization or any coup attempt, and we've demonstrated this to the entire world,” said Erdogan.

“As we approach 2023 (centenary of the foundation of the republic), we work with greater confidence for our future and we are going to achieve even greater things.

"Since the War of Independence, our nation has exhibited great wisdom, and our nation has always chosen the ones that are right for our country and for them,” he added.

Erdogan also paid tribute to Ataturk and his fellow "fighters, martyrs, and veterans" of the Battle of Sakarya and the War of Independence.

The battle took place on the banks of the Sakarya River, in close proximity to Turkey’s capital Ankara. The battleground, Polatli, is only 80 kilometers (50 miles) away from Ankara.

After the battle, Ataturk was awarded the rank of Field Marshal of the Army by the parliament as well as the title of Gazi (Veteran) for his efforts and victory on the battlefield.