Turkish president marks 1071 victory at Malazgirt

Turkey’s president on Saturday marked the anniversary of the Battle of Malazgirt, a historic victory for the Turks in Anatolia nearly a millennium ago, praising Turkish people’s determination to protect their independence.

The Battle of Malazgirt (or Manzikert) on Aug. 26, 1071 saw Seljuk Turks led by Sultan Alparslan defeat a Byzantine army and open up Anatolia for Turkish domination.

In a written message, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Defying a host of attacks from inside and out, our people have clung to this soil for almost 1,000 years thanks to the soul of Malazgirt.”

Turkey’s biggest safeguard is the “determination of our people to protect their independence, their motherland, and their future,” even in the face of economic attacks, he added.

Erdogan drew parallels between the struggles of the Battle of Malazgirt and the 2016 defeated coup attempt in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

“As long as this soul -- which made us take the Malazgirt victory and makes it possible to protect our unity despite our differences -- is kept alive, nobody can hold back our country from reaching its goals for 2023, 2053, and 2071,” he added, referring to Turkey's centenary and the 600th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, as well as Malazgirt.

Turkey has set specific goals and targets that include major improvements in the economy, energy, healthcare, and transportation for 2023.

Erdogan also released a separate message honoring Victory Week, which marks two key historical victories by Turkish forces: the Battle of Malazgirt and Great Offensive of Aug. 26, 1922, which saw invading Greek forces' eventual defeat at the hands of the Turkish army.

He lauded the Great Offensive -- the biggest military operation of the Turkish War of Independence -- as a “milestone in the struggle for independence.”

“Our beloved people protected their national and spiritual values at the cost of their lives throughout history,” he wrote.

The 96th Victory Day on Aug. 30 commemorates Turkey's victory in the Battle of Dumlupinar, in the Aegean province of Kutahya, part of the Great Offensive.