Türkiye celebrates Seljuks’ victory over Byzantines 952 years ago, throwing open gateway to Anatolia
Türkiye on Saturday marked the 952nd anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert, a pivotal historic victory for the Turks in Anatolia, in the year 1071."I congratulate (the nation on) the 952nd anniversary of the Victory at Manzikert, the starting point of the chain of victories that took us to Vienna," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to the Battle of Vienna about six centuries later, when the Ottoman Empire reached its territorial height.
"I commemorate Sultan Alp Arslan and his army, and all our heroes who made Anatolia our homeland, with mercy and gratitude,” the president added.
First lady Emine Erdogan also commemorated Alp Arslan, then-sultan of the Seljuk Empire, which achieved the historic victory.
"History changed when the gateway to Anatolia was opened to the Turks 952 years ago. The spirit of unity and solidarity of the victory at Manzikert, inherited from our distinguished forebears, will continue to guide future generations," she said on X.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus also marked the victory of Manzikert as "one of the pages of pride in our glorious history."
"Our beloved nation continues its progress with the same consciousness and determination, inspired by our ancestors who made Anatolia our homeland and whose past is full of heroism," Kurtulmus said on X.
The pivotal victory made Anatolia "our eternal homeland and shaped world history," said Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.
"Together with the spirit of 1071, we will carry this cherished homeland, entrusted to us by our heroic forebears to a much stronger future," Altun said on X.
Turkish control of Anatolia began with the Battle of Malazgirt, also known as the Battle of Manzikert, on Aug. 26, 1071, which saw the Seljuk Turks led by Sultan Alp Arslan defeat a much larger Byzantine army.
The victory accelerated the decline of the Byzantine Empire, and led to more Turks settling in the region, paving the way for both the Ottoman Empire and the modern Republic of Türkiye.
Centuries later, foreign occupation prompted Türkiye’s War of Independence in 1919, in which Turkish forces – led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – eventually drove the invaders from Anatolia.
By the end of 1922, all foreign forces had left the territories, which became a part of the Republic of Türkiye a year later.
