Turkey Victory Day – August 30, 2026

History of Turkey Victory Day

Turkey Victory Day is a holiday that commemorates the victory of the Turkish Army in the Battle of ‘Dumlupınar.’ The Ottoman Empire was divided among the Allied Powers following the First World War, which ended in 1918. As a result, when the Treaty of Sèvres was signed on August 10, 1920, the Triple Entente gave Greece ownership of some territory in Turkey. These regions included Western Anatolia, Imbros (now Gökçeada), Tenedos, and Eastern Thrace (Smyrna).

In May 1919, 20,000 Greek soldiers had already landed in Smyrna and began launching successful offensives the following summer. One of the reasons proposed by the Greek government was that there was a sizable population of Greek-speaking Orthodox Christians in Anatolia in need of protection. By October 1920, the army began to advance further east as the ill-equipped Turkish forces continued to retreat into the recesses of Anatolia. However, after the 21-day Battle of Sakarya, August 23 – September 13, 1921, the Greek army could no longer advance and was forced to retreat.

The Turks ultimately launched a counterattack on August 26, 1922, after a series of battles, including the Battles of Inonu and Afyonkarahisar-Eskisehir. This became known as the “Great Offensive” among Turks. At the Battle of Dumlupnar on August 30, the Turkish Army beat the Greek Army, taking numerous Greek soldiers prisoner and killing two Greek generals. Victory Day was initially observed in Turkey in 1923. It was declared a federal holiday in 1926. A military ceremony is held at the War Academy in Istanbul on a particular day, and military parades are held in the nation’s major cities.