President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's message on the Independence March

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message on the occasion of the Adoption of the Independence March and Mehmet Akif Ersoy Commemoration Day.

In his message, Erdoğan included the following statements:

"Our Independence March became the expression of our national consensus more than a century ago, as we sought to win our freedom as a nation, liberate our homeland from occupation, and build a new future for ourselves. Our civilizational accumulation, our values, our faith, and our nation's march through history have found embodiment in the verses of our Independence March. The will and determination of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which conducted the War of Independence, as well as the sacrifice, perseverance, and love for the homeland of our soldiers on the front lines, are reflected in the Independence March. Today, we have young people who internalize every word and every message in our Independence March with every fiber of their bodies and souls. We have children who, when the time comes, protect the sensitivity of our flag and call to prayer at the cost of their lives. The day we forget our Independence March, which engraves the Turkish nation's thousands-year-old cause of state and civilization into hearts across ten stanzas, is the day shackles of captivity are placed on our feet and chains of humiliation are placed around our necks. Our great national poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who holds an exceptional place in the hearts of our nation, will always be remembered with respect for his works and ideas, especially our Independence March. On the anniversary of the adoption of our Independence March, I commemorate all the heroes of our struggle for independence, especially Mehmet Akif Ersoy, with mercy and gratitude, and I greet all my fellow citizens with my most heartfelt feelings."