It had deleted the post before: This time, NATO celebrates August 30 with a soldier standing guard in front of Afrin Hospital

The NATO Allied Land Command, based in Izmir, stated in its August 30 Victory Day celebration post on its X account, "We celebrate our host nation's 'Victory and Armed Forces Day'." The post used a photograph of a Turkish soldier standing guard in front of the Afrin Hospital, which Turkey built following Operation Olive Branch. 

In the photo, Syrians waiting in line at the door to enter the hospital can also be seen. 

The NATO Allied Land Command had deleted a post it made on its social media account in 2022, which marked the 100th anniversary of Victory Day on August 30. In the post shared by the NATO Allied Land Command featuring a photo of Turkish soldiers, the Ministry of National Defense's social media account was tagged, and it said in Turkish, "Happy Victory Day." The post continued in English, stating, "Today is the 100th anniversary of Turkish independence. We join our Turkish allies in celebrating their Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day, and we are with them in NATO and beyond."

GREECE REACTED, THE POST WAS DELETED

Following NATO's post, Greece had reacted to the share. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had filed an official complaint with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, describing NATO's post as an 'unacceptable step.' The tweet was deleted following Greece's reaction. 

Last year, LANDCOM also celebrated Victory Day in a message shared on the X platform, using the words, "As LANDCOM, we celebrate our host nation's Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day. On this very special day, we would like to express our gratitude to Turkey for the hospitality they have shown as hosts at LANDCOM. Since joining NATO in 1952, Turkey has participated in numerous operations and exercises and has always demonstrated the great professionalism and determination of its soldiers. Turkey and NATO are stronger and safer together!" 

Later, according to a report by Kathimerini based on diplomatic sources, Greece's Permanent Representative to NATO sent a written letter of protest to the NATO Secretary General, stating in the protest letter, "It is unacceptable to link Turkey's national day to a victory day won against an allied country."