Head of the Medical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, and President of the Anatolian Intellectuals' Hearth, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Öztek, was a guest on the 5. Kuvvet program broadcast on the MGTV YouTube channel. Drawing attention to the meaning and importance of August 30 Victory Day, Öztek stated that Turks have a deep-rooted history and that there are currently great enemies who want to make the country forgotten. Emphasizing that the unity of the Republic of Turkey must be raised to the highest level, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Öztek underlined that the heroes of the Turkish nation come from the same genes and have left sacred legacies. Öztek also conveyed the details of two important victories in Turkish history to the audience, noting that the two greatest victories in history were the August 26 victories.
The online program attracted great interest. Poet-Thinker Levent Ağaoğlu was also a guest on the program.
“These two victories changed Turkish and World history”
Speaking about two important victories in Turkish history, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Öztek said; “The two greatest victories in our history are the August 26 victories. One is the Battle of Manzikert Victory, and the other is the Great Offensive Victory. These two victories changed Turkish and World history. At the head of both stood Turkey's greatest commanders, or history bestowed upon them the title of commanders who wrote epics and changed history. One of these two commanders is Mehmet Alparslan, the other is Mustafa Kemal. If we look at their names, both carry the names or epithets of our noble prophet. Therefore, one opens the doors of Anatolia to Muslim Turks, and after opening them, says, ‘I have acquired such a homeland for you that it will be yours forever.’ On the other hand, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, completing Alparslan's beautiful words, says to us; ‘My humble body will surely turn to dust one day, but the Republic of Turkey will endure,’ meaning it will live forever.”
They fought to their last drop of blood
Speaking about the Battle of Sakarya, Öztek said; “The Battle of Sakarya was a very big war, we have 6,000 martyrs. There are exactly 40,000 listed as wounded and missing. The other side had 23,000 losses. Their dead are slightly fewer than ours. ‘This was a battle of blood,’ says Atatürk. Because we lost both our officers and suffered very heavy casualties. After the Battle of Sakarya, when the enemy attacked the places we had retreated from again, Atatürk gave the following order; ‘There is no line of defense, there is a surface of defense.’ This means you will fight to your last drop of blood where you are, where your units are. You will not take a single step back. Indeed, that's what happened. The enemy encountered great resistance and could not advance. Not only could they not advance, but they were forced to retreat. No matter how much the enemy attacked or how much force they used, they failed and had to retreat further. When they were forced to retreat, the superiority of the Turkish units emerged, and the days of the great victory we call August 26 were beginning.”
40 thousand veterans marched behind him…
Drawing attention to the importance of the Turan tactic in defeating the Byzantine army, Öztek said; “When Alparslan, on his white horse, wearing white garments he described as his shroud, said, ‘I am going to drink the syrup of martyrdom,’ 40,000 veterans marched behind him. Alparslan destroyed the Byzantine army, which was almost four times larger than his own, by evening with an arrow rain and Turan tactic applications that began in the afternoon, captured its commander King Romanos IV Diogenes, and then pardoned him.”
On August 30, victory was won on all fronts…
Speaking about the details of the war, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Öztek said; “Mustafa Kemal Pasha, on his bay horse named Sakarya, gave his magnificent command, saying, ‘There is no salvation unless every inch of the homeland is watered with our blood, either independence or death!’; ‘Armies, your first target is the Mediterranean, forward!’ The Great Offensive, which began on the morning of August 26, continued on all fronts on August 27. On August 28-29, the Greek army was surrounded again with a Turan tactic. Escape routes were blocked, and a large part of it was annihilated or captured. Among those captured was the Greek Commander-in-Chief Trikoupis. He too was pardoned by Mustafa Kemal Pasha. On August 30, victory was won on all fronts. The remaining enemy was fleeing towards the Mediterranean. Just as Alparslan commanded this great battle on the Muş plain from Sultanlık Hill, Mustafa Kemal Pasha also commanded the war from Victory Hill. While Alparslan defeated Bulgarian, Slavic, Georgian, Armenian, and European Turkish units along with the Byzantines, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, while annihilating the Greeks, also brought to their knees the Allied Powers such as the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, who occupied the country, along with the Armenians who trailed behind them. After the victory, Alparslan said; ‘I have acquired such a homeland for you that it will be yours forever.’ Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who saved the homeland from all its enemies, called the "Seven Powers," who had attacked the honor, dignity, and prestige of the homeland for five years, said, ‘My humble body will surely turn to dust one day. But the Republic of Turkey will endure forever.’”
“We need to raise the unity of the Republic of Turkey to the highest level”
Emphasizing that Turkish unity must be preserved no matter what, Öztek said; “Today, Turkey's population exceeds 84 million. A large part of the population is young, and it has a developing economy. It has a strong army. We have one of the largest armies in the world. We have a deep-rooted history. Our culture is great. Our above-ground and underground riches, and energy routes pass through Anatolia. Our geostrategic structure makes us one of the most important countries in the world. There are very great enemies who want to make this country forgotten. Our enemies have never diminished. As the Turkish child recognizes their ancestors, they will find strength within themselves to do greater things, to write epics in civilization, science, and technology, and to rise above civilized countries. As they recognize their ancestors, they will find strength within themselves. Let us also never forget that as we become corrupted, we will become easy prey for our enemies. Therefore, no matter what, and no matter what structure anyone has, it is necessary to establish Turkish unity, the unity of this nation. We need to raise the unity of the Republic of Turkey to the highest level. The heroes of the Turkish nation come from the same genes. They have left us sacred legacies. Our duty is to protect these legacies and to multiply the glorious pages of our glorious history. Happy Victory Week.”