Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli
Renowned Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli has said Turkey’s Victory Day, which commemorates the resounding defeat of Greek forces in the 1922 Battle of Dumlupinar, gives a message to the world that “we are here to stay”.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Ortayli, an history professor at Istanbul's Galatasaray University, recalled that Seljuk Turks took control over Anatolia after the Battle of Dorylaeum with the then crusaders during the First Crusade in July 1, 1097, near the city of Dorylaeum located close to Turkey’s Eskisehir province.
This allowed Turks to settle in Anatolia.
Turkish domination in Anatolia began with the Battle of Malazgirt in Aug. 26, 1071, which saw Seljuk Turks led by Sultan Alparslan defeat a Byzantine army.
The U.S. is trying to damage Turkey's prestige, said a Turkish expert on Wednesday.“The U.S. is acting on a policy to sideline Turkey and damage Turkey’s prestige,” said Mesut Hakki Casin, department head at Istanbul Istinye University's department of international relations.Relations between Ankara and Washington have been tense in recent months over the detention of U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson in Turkey over terror-related charges.According to Casin, the Trump administration is trying to capitalize on the Brunson issue domestically for the upcoming midterm Congress elections to be held in November.US aiding Saudi war crimes in Yemen: NY Times“[U.S. President Donald] Trump was aiming to conduct election propaganda by welcoming the pastor from the airplane before the midterm House and Senate elections,” Casin said. Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system and the U.S. threat to withhold F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets from Ankara have also strained ties between the two NATO allies.Casin said Ankara would find alternate suppliers and resort to judicial proceedings against Washington if the U.S. failed to deliver the jointly produced fighter jets."Turkey, along with its $40 billion defense budget and control over NATO’s southern flank as well as three continents, will have been lost to the U.S.," said Casin, adding that the U.S. would be unable to remain in the region without Turkish support.Turkey to prioritize EU reforms, expects to see results: FMAnother danger to relations between the two countries is the U.S.'s provision of large amounts of military equipment to terrorist groups in Syria, such as the YPG/PKK, which threaten Turkish interests and security, Casin said.“Images showing the U.S. deployment of advanced air defense systems for PYD/PKK terrorists in Syria constitute a flagrant violation of the 5th and 6th articles of [the] NATO [Treaty]. These [systems] will block Turkey in its fight against terrorist elements in the region,” said Casin.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including many women and children.Turkey will shape the region’s future: ErdoğanExploration and extraction of energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean is also an issue of contention for Turkey and its neighbors.According to Casin, the U.S. is conducting maneuvers through its military bases in the region in order to block Turkish exploration of hydrocarbons in the area, ultimately aiming to “eliminate" Turkey’s exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean.Casin explained that failure by the U.S. to improve relations would lead it to “lose Turkey and cause Turkey to leave NATO”.
‘US to lose region if it loses Turkey,’ says expert
About the 1922 victory of Turkish forces over Greeks, the historian said: “Two factors were behind their dominance.
“First, we [Turks] took control of not only the villages and the cities, but also the mountains,” Ortayli said.
The second factor was the power of language that helped cement the dominance of Turks in Anatolia.
“It was not in the bureaucracy or the madrasah… but in the army. In terms of language, the army was Turkish,” Ortayli said.
Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Wednesday criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for his remarks targeting Turkey and its EU membership process."We want to hear a commonsense statement from Macron on Turkey and we would also like to remind Macron how inconvenient it is to mix Islam and terror," said party spokesman Ömer Çelik, speaking at a news conference following the AK Party's central executive board meeting.During the Ambassadors Conference in Paris on Monday, Macron said “to fight Islamist terrorism, we created a new law in France”.He also questioned Turkey's EU membership.Turkey ‘deeply regrets’ Macron remarks on its accession to EU"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has a pan-Islamic project that is contrary to our European values.”Macron said there was a need to build a strategic partnership with Turkey instead of granting it EU membership."We need to build a strategic partnership with Russia and Turkey because they are two important powers for our collective security; they must be tied to Europe," he said."President Erdoğan's Turkey is not President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's Turkey anymore," he added.Referring to a plan by Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders to hold a Prophet Muhammad cartoon competition, Çelik said "such provocative attacks cause these racists and fascists to gain a place in European politics”."Europe’s ‘Daesh’ are its far-right parties…There is no difference between the leaders of the Daesh terrorist group and fascists like Dutch far-right leader Wilders."Therefore, if they are taking measures against Daesh, they must take such measures against these racists. This is not something to be evaluated in the context of freedom of thought," he said.Wilders' anti-Islam Party for Freedom had previously called for the Quran to be banned.
French leader slammed for his remarks on Turkey
He added that the inherited seminomadic tribal order of the Seljuks had also helped Turks to reinforce their dominance in Anatolia.
Ortayli also pointed out that Anatolia was not a rich region when Turks had first arrived in the region.
“However, for the first time in history, Turkish population was so dense in one region,” he said.
Entente States' futile aims
"The most populous region of the Turkic world is the Asia Minor. In no other country of the world, Turks have been so packed.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu divulged details from Turkey’s Fourth Reform Action Group Meeting in a joint press conference on Wednesday.Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey will prioritize reforms linked to its European Union accession process in the coming period and expects to see results from its efforts, including on the issue of visa liberalization.The foreign minister added that Turkey will work on accelerating political reforms, focusing on the judiciary, freedoms and fundamental rights.Çavuşoğlu said that talks on updating the customs union with the EU must start again. He also said Turkey did not expect new chapters to be opened regarding its EU accession talks while Austria has the term presidency of the blocTurkey will shape the region’s future: ErdoğanHuman rightsJustice Minister Gül said his department would prioritize an action plan regarding human rights and the judiciary. He stated that the plan would be revised and steps would be taken to advance human rights matters.Reducing account deficit “We will implement the action plan developed with our banks and real sector more effectively. Export and import figures demonstrated a positive indicator. Our aim to reduce current account deficit will continue to be one of our main goals. We will implement policies for fighting inflation in 2019,” Finance Minister Albayrak said.“We want to build strong infrastructure in Turkey’s financial system so that it may resist regional and global attacks. We will be far more powerful in the new world order,” he added.Turkey's foreign trade deficit down in JulyAlbayrak dubbed the reform meeting as “historic,” and hailed the stance displayed by EU states following attacks by the United States targeting the Turkish economy.“Over the past few months, there has been turbulence in our region and in global economy caused by the U.S. Countries that have suffered in terms of trade balance have gained motivation to run a new process differently. U.S. moves have sparked question marks in Turkey and many EU countries. I will most likely visit Britain and Germany next week. We will make medium and long term plans with our counterparts,” Albayrak said.EU securityInterior Minister Soylu emphasized that Turkey was a key partner of the EU in matters such as security.“Turkey is fulfilling its role in areas such as the fight against terror, irregular migration and the war on drugs, and all these matters directly relate to Europe’s security. This meeting clearly confirms the will of Turkey and the EU in favor of reforms. Turkey has remained committed to the March 18 agreement,” Soylu said.In March 2016, Turkey and the EU signed a deal aiming to stem the irregular migration flow through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving conditions for nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.Turkish finance minister says does not see big risk to economy
Turkey to prioritize EU reforms, expects to see results: FM
“There are Balkan countries… which we have left, there are also northern Syria and northern Mesopotamia.
“If you include those, it makes a very big country. There was no population that was so crowded along the River Volga, or in Crimea, or even in Iran, or in Central Asia... For this reason, Turkey became an indispensable homeland."
He recalled that the then global powers wanted Turks to leave Anatolia.
“They [the then Entente States, also known as Allied Powers] tried to get it [Anatolia], but they failed to achieve their aim," Ortayli said, adding that the Entente states, especially Britain, wanted Turks to leave Anatolia on the grounds that they were supposedly “outlanders” and thus could not be a part of Anatolia.
Turkey will shape the future of the entire region upon reaching its 2023 vision goals, vowed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a Victory Day message published Wednesday. “Like at every stage in our history, today we’re fighting for all the oppressed and destitute with the hope that binds us all together,” the message read. “I believe that today we’re on the brink of new victories as well. Surely, we will win this fight together with those who put their trust in Turkey,” Erdoğan’s message concluded.The Turkish leader’s message comes on the eve of the 96th anniversary of Victory Day, which is celebrated on Aug. 30, commemorating victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar, in Turkey's Aegean province of Kütahya in 1922, as part of the Great Offensive.The last week of August marks two key historical victories by Turkish forces: the Battle of Malazgirt on Aug. 26, 1071, which saw Seljuk Turks defeat a Byzantine army and open up Anatolia for Turkish domination.It also marks the start of the Great Offensive of Aug. 26, 1922, which saw invading Greek forces' eventual defeat at the hands of the Turkish army.Erdoğan talks to German counterpart over phone'Issue not about myself, but Turkey, Islam': ErdoğanTurkish president marks 1071 victory at Malazgirt
Turkey will shape the region’s future: Erdoğan
Therefore, Turkey’s decisive victory on Aug. 30, 1922, which was later “legitimized” by the Lausanne Agreement, was a “we are here to stay” message to the world, Ortayli said.
The well-known Turkish historian also recalled the Greek Commander Ioannis Metaxas’s warning against launching an offensive in Anatolia.
Metaxas had refused to launch the offensive and told Greek politicians that the war in Turkey could not be won, Ortayli said.
“The Turks developed a national feeling,” the author, David Fromkin, quoted Metaxas as saying in his book “A Peace to End All Peace”.
“And they mean to fight for their freedom and independence… They realize that Asia Minor is their country and that we are invaders. For them, for their national feelings, the historical rights on which we base our claims, have no influence.
Atatürk 'war genius'
“Whether they are right or wrong is another question. What matters is their feelings,” according to the book.
Ortayli said although the Turkish army had lacked even the basic equipment and weapons against the Greek Army, they were more experienced in fighting the war.
The historian also highlighted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s ability to command the Turkish people, which, Ortayli said, had boosted the war-weary Turkish people’s energy to take part in their independence war.
“Atatürk is undoubtedly a war genius who dared to do things which some other [Turkish commanders] could not dare to do.
"No other commander tried to rescue Bursa, Antalya or Izmir," he said.
Ortayli added: “This war was won by Atatürk's military and political prodigy.”
Turkey was occupied by allied forces after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War (1914-1918).
The foreign occupation prompted Turkey’s War of Independence in 1919, in which Turkish forces -- led by Gen. Mustafa Kemal -- eventually drove the invaders from Anatolia.
From Aug. 26 to Aug. 30 of 1922, Turkish forces fought the Battle of Dumlupinar (considered part of the Greco-Turkish War) in Turkey’s western Kutahya province, where Greek forces were decisively defeated.
By the end of 1922, all foreign forces had left the territories which would collectively become the new Republic of Turkey one year later.