August 30, external and internal enemies

We can call August the month of victories in Turkish history. The 1071 Battle of Manzikert, the Great Offensive in 1922, and the second phases of the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation are examples we can give for this.

August 30 Victory Day has a special place in Turkish history. Anatolia, what remained of the Empire, was under occupation, and the Turkish Nation was struggling for its existence. 

Mustafa Kemal and the handful of soldiers and civilians around him were fighting for liberation not only against the Greek Army but also against the Sultan and the internal enemies, whom the great leader described as "degenerate" in his Nutuk (Speech). 

It would not be out of place to say that our War of Independence was also a civil war. The internal rebellions that broke out during the national struggle period starting in 1919, the Kuvayı İnzibatiye (Caliphate Army) unleashed upon the national forces, and desertions from the army are examples showing the struggle waged not only against the occupying Greeks but also against the internal enemy. 

Uprisings such as those in Düzce, Yozgat, Anzavur, Koçgiri, and Pontus caused the Ankara Government to use its already limited resources and capabilities to suppress these events. 

The rebellion of Çerkes Ethem, who had been useful in suppressing uprisings before a regular army was established, and Topal Osman's attempt on Mustafa Kemal's life are also events that should be known and read about.

The Independence Tribunals and the Tekalifi Milliye (National Obligations) orders were the result of the Anatolian movement's necessity to use force. It should also be added that the money and goods collected from the public in line with the Tekalifi Milliye orders were paid back to their owners after the war.

WE ALSO DEFEATED THE INTERNAL ENEMY

I believe that focusing on the subject of internal rebellions while examining the War of Independence period is important for understanding the struggle as a whole, its magnitude, and today. 

The successors of the perpetrators of these rebellions are still among us today under different names. When you examine the goals of the rebellions, it will be seen that we have actually been dealing with the same troubles for over 100 years. While the subject of treason has been brought up, let us also remember the collaborationist Istanbul press of the period with curses. You can find a shameful memory about the Istanbul of the occupation years in the final section of Hasan Yazıcı's article published on 12Punto on July 23, 2025. 

It is a great achievement that Ankara, which was struggling with internal rebellions and all kinds of impossibilities, gained time to gather strength with the Battle of Sakarya shortly after the defeat in the Battle of Eskişehir-Kütahya. It is impossible not to admire the military genius and determination of Mustafa Kemal. 

The August 26, 1922 Great Offensive, the August 30 Commander-in-Chief Battle, and September 9, 1922, the day the victory was crowned, are all causes for honor for us. We commemorate all the heroes with gratitude and respect. With this epic offensive that lasted 14 days, fighting from Afyon to İzmir and destroying the enemy, the Turkish Nation declared to the whole world that it would live independently in Anatolia forever.

ATATÜRK'S MESSAGE

Atatürk's message to the Turkish Army on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Republic is written on the wall of Anıtkabir. The beginning of the address is as follows: "Heroic Turkish Army, whose victories and history begin with the history of humanity, and which always carries the lights of civilization along with victory!"

Atatürk expressed his gratitude to the army on behalf of the nation for saving the homeland from occupation and the enemy. At the same time, he stated the duty he imposed on the army; he said that in addition to military victories, it should be the locomotive of progress and modernization.

We are grateful to all the heroes of our War of Independence. We owe a lot to the Great Atatürk, the commanders, the soldiers, and especially the naval officers I would like to commemorate who brought the ammunition from the Soviet Union across the Black Sea. May their souls rest in peace.

While remembering and celebrating the victories of the past with honor, we must not forget what we need to do today. Imperialism has not abandoned its ambitions. Ukraine and Syria are two current examples. It is clear that nations with weak armies are trampled underfoot and their peoples experience disasters. It is essential that our army is kept out of daily politics, possesses its own education/health/legal systems, and is managed based on merit. 

Happy August 30 Victory Day.