August 30 message from Devlet Bahçeli

MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli issued a written message on the occasion of August 30 Victory Day. In his message, Bahçeli emphasized that the Great Offensive and the Battle of Dumlupınar were among the turning points in the Turkish nation's struggle for independence.

Stating that August 30, 1922, was the day when the "era of retreat spanning over two centuries was reversed," Bahçeli expressed that the struggle fought in Dumlupınar should not be evaluated merely as a battle of a few days, but as the result of the Turkish nation's long history of struggle.

In his message, Bahçeli drew attention to the losses and occupation attempts experienced in the process extending from the Treaty of Karlowitz to the Balkan Wars, and from the Armistice of Mudros to the Treaty of Sèvres, noting that the War of Independence was carried out with a spirit of total national mobilization, "with its youth, elderly, and women."

Stating that the Great Offensive, which began in Kocatepe, reached a definitive conclusion in Dumlupınar, Bahçeli recalled that the occupation ended with the Turkish army's arrival in İzmir on September 9.

At the end of his message, Bahçeli stated, "I commemorate with mercy and gratitude, primarily Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, his heroic comrades-in-arms who supported the War of Independence, and our martyrs and veterans who made these lands our homeland with their blood and lives."

The MHP leader concluded his message with the words, "Happy August 30 Victory Day. How happy is the one who says I am a Turk!"