The 'crowned with victory' epic of the Great Offensive is 102 years old

After the victory in the Battle of Sakarya—which lasted 22 days and 22 nights between August 22, 1921, and September 13, 1921, and is considered the turning point of the National War of Independence—the Turkish army began preparing for the "Great Offensive," for which Mustafa Kemal Pasha had issued the operational order. Following the victory at Sakarya, the Grand National Assembly granted Mustafa Kemal Pasha the rank of "Marshal."

Having won the Battle of Sakarya, the Turkish Army began preparations to reach the strength necessary to force a battle that would completely expel the Greek armies from Anatolia. All limited financial means were pushed to the limit to address shortages, all of the country's resources were placed at the disposal of the army, officers and soldiers began training for the offensive, and troops from fronts where fighting had ceased were transferred to the Western Front.

Despite impatience in the Assembly to launch the offensive, Mustafa Kemal Pasha continued preparations for nearly a year, stating: "Our army's decision is to attack. However, we are delaying this attack. The reason is that we need a little more time to fully complete our preparations. An attack made with half-preparations and half-measures is much worse than not attacking at all."

"ARMIES, YOUR FIRST TARGET IS THE MEDITERRANEAN"

The Great Offensive, the final phase of the National War of Independence, was launched on August 26, 1922, as a general assault against the Greek forces in Anatolia supported by the Allied powers. The Great Offensive, which Marshal Mustafa Kemal Pasha directed and managed from Kocatepe in Afyon, concluded in victory exactly 102 years ago today, on August 30, 1922.

As the Greek Army, which had been scattered during the Great Offensive, retreated, Mustafa Kemal Pasha issued the order: "Armies, your first target is the Mediterranean, forward." The National War of Independence ended with the Turkish Army entering İzmir on September 9, 1922, and the Greek Army completely abandoning Anatolia on September 18.

In the following months, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed on July 24, 1923, the founding of the Republic of Turkey was declared on October 29, 1923, and Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who took the surname 'Atatürk' by law, was elected as the 1st President, a position he held until his death at the age of 57 on November 10, 1938.

August 30, which was first commemorated as the Commander-in-Chief's Victory in Afyon in 1924 and has been celebrated as Victory Day throughout Turkey since 1926, was also designated as the date for appointments and promotions within the command echelon of the Turkish Armed Forces.