TBMM President Kurtulmuş: “The Seljuk is ours, the Ottoman is ours, the Republic is ours.”

The Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, in his speech at the events commemorating the 102nd anniversary of the Great Victory, reminded that the month of August is the month of the nation’s heroism, stating, “The Seljuks are ours, the Ottomans are ours, the Republic is ours. Sultan Alp Arslan is ours, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror is ours, Suleiman the Magnificent is ours, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his friends are ours. Anyone who tries to separate these should know that they are adding oil to the bread of the imperialists.”

In his speech at the celebration program held in the Şuhut district of Afyonkarahisar for the 102nd anniversary of the Great Victory, Kurtulmuş expressed gratitude and remembrance for the heroes and pioneers of the great struggle, including Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and all those who contributed.

Kurtulmuş emphasized the importance of celebrating and remembering such a significant historical day, stating, “Remembering these historical events should not be seen as merely reading the pages of history or a history book. This is also a valuable opportunity to reflect on the lessons we can draw from the August 30 Victory Day and our nation’s national liberation struggle. We will draw lessons from here. With the lessons we learn, we will continue our journey as a stronger country and a greater nation.”

“Cities and civilizations are built on the faith in people’s hearts”

Kurtulmuş expressed the necessity of having one of the world’s most important and powerful armies to prepare the nation strongly for the future, saying, “We will have the most important defense industry, we will have the best-educated youth, we will have the best universities, we will have the most beautiful developed cities, but most importantly, we will have a nation with the most faithful and strongest heart in the world.

Cities and civilizations are built on the faith in people’s hearts. This is one of the most important lessons we learned from the August 30 Victory Day. This nation, which loves freedom and dignity, stands strong and fights against imperialism and occupation; this is our characteristic. We hope that our nation will maintain these qualities until the Day of Judgment. Together, in unity, and in the spirit of social solidarity, setting aside differences when necessary, we will be able to rise up against the enemy saying ‘Ya Allah.’ Therefore, on every August 30, at every Malazgirt Field Battle, we must first remember this great national trait and step forward from every epic struggle that we open the pages of liberation.”

“One of the important places of liberation is our First Assembly”

Kurtulmuş drew attention to the significant role of military genius, faith, and patriotism in this great struggle, continuing:
“Another aspect, equally important, is the place and importance of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which came together even during those days of the liberation war. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey was a place where, under war conditions, it fought for the country’s liberation while also discussing military tactics for this struggle. One of the important places of liberation is our First Assembly. Even before the Republic was established and before the homeland gained its freedom, the collective spirit of those who came together with an awareness of establishing a republic and a sense of democracy is one of the most important characteristics behind this struggle for liberation.”

“Actually, our liberation struggle is a total struggle”

While the nation fought in the squares, the parliament in Ankara was also working on establishing a new state and the foundation of the republic, Kurtulmuş said:
“What I want to say from here is that our liberation struggle is actually a total struggle. The fight of the Mehmetçik on the battlefield. The determination of those in Ankara to manage the state, the zeal to establish a new state. The foresight, faith, and hard work of the brave Anatolian women who prepared supplies for the Mehmetçik at home in the villages. All these came together and resulted in a great epic of liberation. Reading history in this way, drawing lessons from all these epics, and raising our young generations with this awareness for the future is a shared responsibility for all of us. We cannot escape from this responsibility. One of our most important duties is to instill this spirit of patriotism, this national consciousness, and this spirit of social solidarity in our children. My primary request while reading our historical pages is to carefully revisit our readings on these topics. This is to create a common consciousness.”

“August is the month of the nation’s heroism”

Kurtulmuş stated that August is the month of the nation’s heroism, noting:
“August 26, 1071, is the date that opened the Anatolian lands to our nation. August 30, which we will celebrate four days after August 26, is a date that marks the official acknowledgment of our nation’s liberation. We cannot read history in a way that some read it with an anti-national understanding. That is, the Seljuks are not something else, the Ottomans are not something else, and the Republic is not something else. The Seljuks are ours, the Ottomans are ours, the Republic is ours. Sultan Alp Arslan is ours, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror is ours, Suleiman the Magnificent is ours, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his friends are ours. Anyone who tries to separate these should know that they are adding oil to the bread of the imperialists. I say this so clearly. Anyone who tries to separate these is trying to divide this nation.”

After his speech, Kurtulmuş attended the performances of the State Folk Dance Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the Belediye Şehir Stadyumu, accompanied by Governor Assoc. Dr. Kübra Güran Yiğitbaşı and protocol members.