Today we commemorate the 93rd anniversary of the greatest victory of the War of Liberation that was won by our armies under the command of Ghazi Mustapha Kemal Pasha.

I congratulate wholeheartedly all our citizens living in our 81 provinces and all corners of the world on August 30, Victory Day.

This Victory was essentially the rise of a nation that was intended to be buried in history from its ashes and the expression of its definition of a new course of life for itself.

August 30, Victory Day is at the same time the harbinger of the Republic of Turkey, the last State we founded.

The victory of Manzikert in 1071 and the establishment of the Anatolian Seljuk State in 1075 had turned the lands of Anatolia into a true motherland for us.

Even though we advanced both into Europe and into Africa during the times of the Ottoman Empire, Anatolia and Rumelia have always been close to our hearts as our homeland.

With the War of Liberation, we were able to preserve a significant part of these territories within the boundaries of our new state, the Republic of Turkey.

Though we opened the way to victory in our War of Liberation with the Great Offensive and thereafter founded our Republic, our struggle for liberty and for the future has not yet ended.

Throughout the history of the Republic, despite all the efforts to weaken the ties between our people and our State, our nation has always embraced its country and has not refrained from any sacrifice for the sake of this cause.

Today, we are faced once again with threats aiming at the unity, solidarity, brotherhood and the future of our country and of our nation.

The instability posed by the conflicts in our southern borders is causing serious security problems for our country.

Our hearts are torn apart with the sorrow of the members of our security forces falling martyr in the attacks, perpetrated by the separatist terrorist organization, which has relaunched its attacks by the courage it draws on this atmosphere.

Parallel state structures acting together with terrorist organizations pose a threat to the future of our country and of our nation.

Our beloved nation living in these lands for one thousand years has defeated many enemies and eliminated many gangs of treason.

We will surely overcome both the separatist terrorist organization and the parallel state structures that have become its pawn.

To this end, all we need to do is to strengthen our unity, togetherness and solidarity, and confront all internal and external enemies as one body and soul.

Uniting around the principle of “ONE NATION, ONE FLAG, ONE COUNTRY, ONE STATE”, our nation, God willing, will eliminate the threats we face today, as well.

As it is well expressed in the verse, “WHAT MAKES THE FLAG A REAL FLAG IS THE BLOOD SHED FOR IT / A LAND BECOMES A COUNTRY ONLY IF THEY ARE READY TO DIE FOR IT”, all our martyrs, who fall down as if they are entering into a rose garden are each indeed a seal of ownership proving that these lands are our own motherland.

On this occasion, I would like to once again commemorate, in the first place, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha, all our martyrs and veterans gratefully and with God’s benediction and grace.

Happy 30 August, Victory Day.

Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN

President