Dear Citizens,

Distinguished Guests,

I greet you with my most heartfelt sentiments, deep affection and respect. We commemorate with justified pride, great enthusiasm and excitement the 103rd anniversary of the Great Victory, one of our brightest epics, which our heroic army and our noble nation created with a self-sacrificing spirit and embellished with faith, hope and courage.

On this important day when we welded our love for independence with our passion for the future and crowned our horizons with our victory, I wholeheartedly congratulate the great Turkish nation, the Turkish Cypriot people and each and every one of our over 7 million citizens abroad on August 30 Victory Day. I would like to truly thank all our guests who honored our foreign missions with their presence to share our happiness and sentiments.

The Great Offensive, which was launched on the most arduous days of our War of Independence to banish the bloody shadow of occupation and oppression from our country, achieved victory with the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief on 30 August 1922. The Great Victory was the aspiration for honor, freedom and of course dignity of the spirit of independence of our nation and the destination for long and arduous path to liberation that we walked on a knife edge. With this victory, the occupation forces of the imperialist armies in Anatolia were routed, the heinous siege was broken, and our nation's refusal to submit to captivity was echoed all over the world with a loud voice.

The heroic struggle of our nation, given by our martyrs and veterans, has once again thwarted the insidious ambitions of the invaders. Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said that the three most crucial elements of the August 30 Victory were our nation, the will of our nation, and our heroic army. He emphasized that the most deterrent line of defense they raised against the enemy was the “internal front” created jointly by the nation and the country.

In these critical days as we rapidly progress toward the triumphant and auspicious epoch of the Century of Türkiye, we aim to completely eradicate the dark shadow of terrorism from our lands, which has tied us down for nearly half a century. We, each and every one of 86 million citizens, are working together to build a Türkiye in peace, prosperity, and well-being for the future.

With our 86 million citizens united as one, we will reach that blessed destination, where there is no envy or hostility, and where our hearts are enlightened by stars of peace and bliss, with Allah's willing, as a nation.

On the other hand, we are passing through a dark period in which borders in our region are attempted to be redrawn with blood, and the most brutal, inhumane massacres of the last century are committed in our immediate region, particularly in Gaza and Palestine.

Those who seek security and prosperity in the blood of the innocent flowing in streams, we believe, will never reach their goals; they will certainly be held accountable for their policies of destruction, occupation, and genocide, first before the law and then before history. Despite the countless attacks they have endured for nearly 80 years, our Palestinian brothers and sisters, who have steadfastly held on to their land, will, God willing, continue to live in their homeland, where they have lived for centuries, till the end of time. Just as we have done throughout thousands of years of our history, Türkiye will stand firm with the oppressed against the oppressor today and tomorrow; we will never hesitate to uphold justice and truth on behalf of all humanity.

Regardless of their faith, country, or continent, I extend my gratitude to everyone who has not remained silent before the atrocities in Gaza, even at the cost of paying a price. I call upon all those with a conscience to join forces on the “front for humanity” to establish lasting peace and stability in our region.

With these thoughts, I commemorate Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Commander-in-Chief of the Great Offensive, and his comrades-in-arms with gratitude.

I wish Allah’s mercy on our noble martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their homeland, their flag, and the independence and future of our nation. I remember all our veterans with respect. I, once again, greet you all with love and respect.

Happy August 30 Victory Day

Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN

President of the Republic of Türkiye